scholarly journals Uraemic tumoral calcinosis in patients on haemodialysis in the renal unit at Dr George Mukhari Hospital, Pretoria

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
F E Suleman ◽  
V Mngomezulu ◽  
N Ebrahim

Objective. Uraemic tumoral calcinosis refers to metastatic calcifications that occur rarely on the extensor surfaces of joints in patients undergoing long-term haemodialysis. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of uraemic tumoral calcinosis in participants undergoing haemodialysis and to investigate any relationship that might exist between the development of uraemic tumoral calcinosis and the length of time on dialysis. Design. Twenty-four of the 25 patients on haemodialysis at the time of the study underwent radiographs of their shoulders and hips to look for calcinosis, which were then read by the researcher and two independent readers to assess for calcinosis. Study setting. Dr George Mukhari Hospital, Pretoria. Results. Eight per cent (N=2) of participants were found to have asymptomatic calcinosis of the hips. No relationship to length of time on dialysis was found. Conclusions. The study was constrained by a small sample size but the presence of calcinosis in 8% of the participants indicates that an extensive study of a larger sample could prove to be useful in determining the true incidence of uraemic tumoral calcinosis in the region. Long-term follow-up could provide more information on the development of calcinosis and length of time on dialysis.

Author(s):  
Nabeel K. Al Hamzawi

Background: Topical nicotinamide (NAM) can reduce excessive melanin deposition in cell culture, by reversibly blocking the transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to the adjacent keratinocytes. Thus, it has been increasingly used as a whitening agent. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of topical nicotinamide used for the treatment of melasma and hyperpigmentation. Methods: An electronic search for topical nicotinamide was carried out on Pubmed and Medline databases to identify studies that addressed this topic as a whitening agent. And to review the primary and secondary outcomes. Results: A significant decrease in hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness was found with the use of topical nicotinamide, compared with the vehicle In two small sample size clinical studies. Combined regimens including nicotinamide and other ingredients offer more synergistic effects than monotherapy. Conclusion: Due to the lack of sufficient evidence, the use of nicotinamide for melasma remains controversial. Extended randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with long-term follow-up periods are needed to assess the efficacy of nicotinamide as a whitening agent. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Rekhi ◽  
Raisa Queiroz Catunda ◽  
Monica Prasad Gibson

Summary Background Reduction in orthodontic treatment time is gaining popularity due to patient demands. Several new techniques of acceleratory orthodontic treatment have been introduced to effectively treat the malocclusion in a shorter time period with minimal adverse effects. Objective The objective of this systematic review is to critically evaluate the potential effect of accelerated surgically assisted orthodontic techniques on periodontal tissues. Materials and methods Electronic databases used to perform the search were Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and hand searching of the literature was also performed. Selection criteria Only randomized control trials (RCTs) that assessed the relationship between accelerated surgically assisted orthodontic techniques and its effects on periodontium were included. Data collection and analysis The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist tool (2016) was used to assess the finally selected studies. Among these studies, five evaluated corticotomy-facilitated orthodontics, two tested accelerated tooth movement with piezocision, one compared corticotomy-facilitated orthodontics with piezocision, and one studied the effects of periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics. The duration of these studies was relatively short and had moderate to high risk of bias. Results Literature search identified 225 records from 5 databases and 50 articles from the partial grey literature (Google scholar) search. Finally, nine eligible RCTs were included in the review. Limitations Most of the included studies were of a high risk of bias due to high experimental heterogeneity and small sample size. Long-term follow-up of the periodontal response to these interventions was also lacking. Conclusions There is an absence of evidence considering the lack of long-term follow-up and small sample size therefore, the results of this review should be carefully interpreted. Implications Due to the need for more studies with less risk of bias, these techniques should be implemented in dental practice with caution. With stronger evidence, the study may be confirmed to provide quicker desired results for orthodontic patients. Registration This study protocol was not registered. Funding No funding was obtained for this systematic review.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1336
Author(s):  
Toshifumi Takahashi ◽  
Shinya Somiya ◽  
Katsuhiro Ito ◽  
Toru Kanno ◽  
Yoshihito Higashi ◽  
...  

Introduction: Cystine stone development is relatively uncommon among patients with urolithiasis, and most studies have reported only on small sample sizes and short follow-up periods. We evaluated clinical courses and treatment outcomes of patients with cystine stones with long-term follow-up at our center. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 22 patients diagnosed with cystine stones between January 1989 and May 2019. Results: The median follow-up was 160 (range 6–340) months, and the median patient age at diagnosis was 46 (range 12–82) years. All patients underwent surgical interventions at the first visit (4 extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, 5 ureteroscopy, and 13 percutaneous nephrolithotripsy). The median number of stone events and surgical interventions per year was 0.45 (range 0–2.6) and 0.19 (range 0–1.3) after initial surgical intervention. The median time to stone events and surgical intervention was 2 years and 3.25 years, respectively. There was a significant difference in time to stone events and second surgical intervention when patients were divided at 50 years of age at diagnosis (p = 0.02, 0.04, respectively). Conclusions: Only age at a diagnosis under 50 was significantly associated with recurrent stone events and intervention. Adequate follow-up and treatment are needed to manage patients with cystine stones safely.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 611-618
Author(s):  
Maria Rodriguez ◽  
Anahita Malvea ◽  
Dayre McNally ◽  
Vid Bijelic ◽  
Ming Guo ◽  
...  

Background: Pediatric aortic root dilatation is a life-threatening condition that lacks guidelines for surgical management. We aimed to analyze the data on aortic valve interventions during root surgery to guide decision-making. Methods: A search was performed of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov , and WHO ICTRP. Citations were screened in duplicate and independently to identify randomized controlled trials, cohorts, and case series involving populations aged 0 to 18 years, who received valve-sparing and valve-replacing aortic root surgeries between 1999 and 2019. Outcomes considered included mortality (perioperative, one year, five year), reintervention rates. Results: After duplicate removal, 689 citations were screened through abstract and full text review, identifying five eligible studies. All five were observational studies evaluating valve-sparing procedures. There were 81 patients with a mean study age range of 9.9 to 13.9 years. Both reimplantation (74%) and remodeling (26%) subtypes were done. Range of mean duration of follow-up was 1.2 to 4.4 years. There was no mortality reported until the one-year follow-up period. The long-term mortality rate was calculated as 0.02 per patient-year (95% CI: 0.01-0.05). The long-term reintervention rate was 0.08 per patient-year (95% CI: 0.05-0.13). Conclusions: There is limited experience on aortic valve intervention during aortic root surgery in children. Single-arm studies on valve-sparing surgeries show excellent survival up to one year. Mortality and reintervention rates increase in the longer term. The small sample size and lack of controlled studies do not allow for direct comparisons between procedure types.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 775-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Deluiz ◽  
Luciano Santos Oliveira ◽  
Paul Fletcher ◽  
Fábio Ramôa Pires ◽  
Justine Monnerat Tinoco ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of this paper is to report histologic and tomographic findings of fresh frozen bone block allografts bearing dental implants in functional occlusion in a long-term follow-up. Four patients with implants functionally loaded for 4 years on augmented ridges requiring additional mucogingival surgery or implant placement were included in this case series. Cone-beam tomography scans were compared volumetrically between the baseline (first implant placement) and current images. Biopsies of the grafts were retrieved and sent to histological analysis. Volumetric reduction of the grafts varied from 2.1 to 7.7%. Histological evaluation demonstrated well-incorporated grafts with different degrees of remodeling. While data presented in this report are from a small sample size and do not allow definitive conclusions, the biopsies of the grafted sites were very similar to the host's native bone. Remodeling of the cortical portion of the allografts seems to take longer than the cancellous portion. The presence of unincorporated graft remains did not impair the implant success or the health of the surrounding tissues. This is the first time histologic and tomographic long term data of bone allograft have been made available in dentistry.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A Pereira ◽  
Sarah L Mullane ◽  
Meynard J Toledo ◽  
Sarah A Rydell ◽  
Miranda Larouche ◽  
...  

Long-term effects of workplace sedentary behavior interventions on cardiometabolic risk are poorly understood. Stand and Move at Work was a multi-site group randomized trial in 24 worksites (N=630, 74% female, 45±11 years of age) of office-based employees in Phoenix, AZ and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Worksites in the STAND+ study arm received 12 months of a multilevel (i.e., worksite policy, environmental, and individual-level strategies) intervention to increase light-intensity physical activity along with a sit-stand workstation (SSW) to increase standing time. Worksites in the MOVE+ study arm received the same multilevel intervention but were not provided the SSW until after the intervention ended at 12 months. The STAND+ arm, but not the MOVE+ arm, had significant reductions in sedentary time over the 12-month intervention. However, 12-month improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors were only observed among a subgroup with dysglycemia (prediabetes or diabetes). Here we report the long-term follow-up of these changes, 12 months after the end of the trial (24 months). Results are shown in the Table. The effects at 12 months were largely sustained at 24 months. Although limited by the small sample size in this subgroup, long-term meaningful and sustained improvement in blood glucose, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and weight may be observed from a multilevel workplace sedentary behavior intervention that includes sit-stand workstations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (20;2) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Gao-Jun Teng

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is commonly used to treat symptomatic vertebral compression fractures. However, its long-term effectiveness and safety for use in the treatment of symptomatic Schmorl’s nodes (SNs) refractory to conservative treatment is uncertain. Objectives: To present a case series with PVP for symptomatic SNs not responding to conservative therapy and assess the effectiveness and safety for such treatment with long-term follow-up. To present a review of the literature regarding SNs and treatment options. Study Design: Single center retrospective observational study. Setting: This study consists of patients from a large academic center in China. Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2013, 11 patients suffering from symptomatic SNs that were refractory to medical or physical therapy, underwent PVP procedures in our department. All patients had a definitive diagnosis of SNs by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). The visual analog scale (VAS) was assessed preoperatively at 4 hours, at one month, and every 6 months postoperatively during the long-term (mean: 58.0 months) follow-up period. Results: Each of the 11 patients reported an immediate and distinct relief of their back pain. No one reported a worsening of symptoms. The VAS decreased from an average preprocedural score of 7.9 to a postprocedural score of 2.1 at 4 hours. The VAS averaged 1.8 during the mean followup period of 58.0 (range 24.1 to 98.9) months. There were no postoperative complications during the follow-up period. At the end of the follow-up period, all 11 patients were unrestricted in their activities. Limitations: This study is a retrospective study with a small sample size. Conclusions: PVP is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of symptomatic SNs, which are refractory to medical or physical therapy. Key words: Percutaneous vertebroplasty, symptomatic Schmorl’s nodes, vertebral endplate fracture, endplate osteonecrosis, Modic changes


Author(s):  
Jian Wan ◽  
Qin Zhang ◽  
Shu-Hui Liang ◽  
Jie Zhong ◽  
Jing-Nan Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Data from single-center experience or small sample-sized studies have shown that chromoendoscopy (CE) might be superior to white-light endoscopy (WLE) for dysplasia surveillance in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. We performed a prospective randomized trial with a long-term follow-up to compare the detection rate of dysplasia among WLE with targeted biopsies (WLT), WLE with random biopsies (WLR), and dye-based CE with targeted biopsies (CET) in UC patients. Methods Patients with long-standing UC were enrolled from 11 medical centers from March 2012 to December 2013 and randomized into three arms (WLT, WLR, and CET). Only high-definition endoscopy was used in all three groups. The patients were followed up by annual endoscopy with biopsies through December 2017. Results With a median follow-up time of 55 months, a total of 122 patients with 447 colonoscopies were finally analysed in the per-protocol set: WLT (n = 43), WLR (n = 40), and CET (n = 39). A total of 34 dysplastic lesions were found in 29 colonoscopies of 21 patients. WLR and CET could identify more colonoscopies that diagnosed dysplasia than WLT (8.1% and 9.7% vs 1.9%; P = 0.014 and 0.004, respectively). WLR obtained more biopsied samples than WLT and CET (16.4 ± 5.1 vs 4.3 ± 1.4 and 4.3 ± 1.4; both P < 0.001). During the second half of the follow-up (37 − 69 months), CET could identify more colonoscopies that diagnosed dysplasia than WLT (13.3% vs 1.6%, P = 0.015) and showed a trend for increasing the detection rate compared with WLR (13.3% vs 4.9%, P = 0.107). Conclusions For a better outcome of cancer/dysplasia surveillance in patients with long-standing UC, CET appeared to be more effective than WLT and less tedious than WLR. CET was found to be particularly useful when a long-term (>3 years) follow-up was conducted for dysplasia surveillance. The trial was registered on www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR1900023689).


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Keret ◽  
Odeya Bennett-Back ◽  
Guy Rosenthal ◽  
Tal Gilboa ◽  
Moatasim Shweiki ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEPosttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a known complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The true incidence of PTE in children is still uncertain, because most research has been based primarily on adults. This study aimed to determine the true incidence of PTE in a pediatric population with mild TBI (MTBI) and to identify risk factors for the development of epileptic events.METHODSData were collected from electronic medical records of children 0–17 years of age, who were admitted to a single medical center between 2007 and 2009 with a diagnosis of MTBI. This prospective research consisted of a telephone survey between 2015 and 2016 of children or their caregivers, querying for information about epileptic episodes and current seizure and neurological status. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of epilepsy following TBI, which was defined as ≥ 2 unprovoked seizure episodes. Posttraumatic seizure (PTS) was defined as a single, nonrecurrent convulsive episode that occurred > 24 hours following injury. Seizures within 24 hours of the injury were defined as immediate PTS.RESULTSOf 290 children eligible for this study, 191 of them or their caregivers were reached by telephone survey and were included in the analysis. Most injuries (80.6%) were due to falls. Six children had immediate PTS. All children underwent CT imaging; of them, 72.8% demonstrated fractures and 10.5% did not demonstrate acute findings. The mean follow-up was 7.4 years. Seven children (3.7%) experienced PTS; of them, 6 (85.7%) developed epilepsy and 3 (42.9%) developed intractable epilepsy. The overall incidence of epilepsy and intractable epilepsy in this cohort was 3.1% and 1.6%, respectively. None of the children who had immediate PTS developed epilepsy. Children who developed epilepsy spent an average of 2 extra days in the hospital at the time of the injury. The mean time between trauma and onset of seizures was 3.1 years. Immediate PTS was not correlated with PTE.CONCLUSIONSIn this analysis of data from medical records and long-term follow-up, MTBI was found to confer increased risk for the development of PTE and intractable PTE, of 4.5 and 8 times higher, respectively. As has been established in adults, these findings confirm that MTBI increases the risk for PTE in the pediatric population.


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