10/14/2024


The discovery of netarsudil is a breakthrough in the therapy of glaucoma with proven efficacy in a wide range of eye pressures and is well tolerated in cases with ocular hypertension and chronic glaucoma.
To report two cases of COVID-19 under treatment with a corticosteroid; in one case rhino-orbitocerebral mucormycosis and in another one rhino-orbital mucormycosis developed.

A 40-year old woman and a 54-year old man with severe COVID-19 underwent corticosteroid therapy for immune-related lung injuries. The first case presented with a bilateral visual loss and complete ophthalmoplegia of the right eye. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sp-13786.html The second case presented with vision loss, proptosis, orbital inflammation, and complete ophthalmoplegia on the left side. Histopathologic, nasal endoscopic examinations, and radiologic findings confirmed mucormycosis in both patients. The patients denied orbital exenteration and were managed with systemic amphotericin B and daily endoscopic sinus debridement and irrigation with diluted amphotericin B. Because of the intracranial space involvement, the first case died. The second case was successfully managed surgically and medically.

Rhino-orbital/cerebral mucormycosis may be developed in COVID-19 patients under treatment with corticosteroid, and requires prompt diagnosis and management.
Rhino-orbital/cerebral mucormycosis may be developed in COVID-19 patients under treatment with corticosteroid, and requires prompt diagnosis and management.
To investigate the possibility and consequences of false positive testing for Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) using repeated testing.

In three cases of suspected LHON, initial mutation analysis using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and direct sequencing showed rare mtDNA mutations at nt 14482 in two cases and a mutation in nt 14484 in the third case which has been associated with a mild variant of LHON. All three patients consulted a specialized neuro-ophthalmology center for a second opinion. During the examinations the clinical diagnosis of LHON was questioned. Therefore the initial DNA samples were reevaluated again using the same probes.

The reevaluation by the testing laboratory of the DNA samples of the three patients revealed misinterpreted initial results and could show that there were no LHON typical mutations in none of the three patients.

A high level of suspicion is important when an accumulation of rare mutations occurs. It is only because of the attentiveness of a specialized neuro-ophthalmologist and the testing laboratory that the diagnosis of LHON was averted. Every laboratory testing can produce false positive results. Therefore, we emphasize that a positive test should be confirmed by a second independent laboratory, at least if the clinical findings seem not to be typical for LHON.
A high level of suspicion is important when an accumulation of rare mutations occurs. It is only because of the attentiveness of a specialized neuro-ophthalmologist and the testing laboratory that the diagnosis of LHON was averted. Every laboratory testing can produce false positive results. Therefore, we emphasize that a positive test should be confirmed by a second independent laboratory, at least if the clinical findings seem not to be typical for LHON.
Takayasu arteritis (TA), a systemic large-vessel vasculitis, was reported to have high incidence of spondyloarthropathy.

To evaluate the prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis in patients with TA that underwent abdominal/pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations as part of their vasculitis work-up.

Consecutive abdominal/pelvic MRI examinations of 34 patients with TA fulfilling the 1990 ACR criteria and 34 age- and gender-matched controls performed between 2008 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for the presence sacroiliitis. The presence of active and structural lesions was scored twice (with a one-month interval between reads) by one reader. Structural lesions were also evaluated on computed tomography, when available, and correlated to MRI findings. Clinical data were extracted from the patients' clinical files. MRI scores were compared between the study and control groups and correlated with the clinical data.

Sacroiliitis was evident in 11.7% of the TA group examinations compared to 0.3% in the control group (
 = 0.6). Participants with TA had significantly more erosions and fat deposition compared to the control group (Study 0.01/0.03, Control 0/0,
 = 0.03/0.003, respectively). However, mean sacroiliitis score was not significantly different (Study 1.06, Control 0.78,
 = 0.015). Of the four patients with TA and sacroiliitis, 3 (75%) had a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Sacroiliitis was detected in 11.7% of abdominal MRI examinations of patients with TA, 75% of which had associated IBD, suggesting that both IBD and sacroiliitis should be routinely screened in the TA population as their presence may influence treatment decisions.
Sacroiliitis was detected in 11.7% of abdominal MRI examinations of patients with TA, 75% of which had associated IBD, suggesting that both IBD and sacroiliitis should be routinely screened in the TA population as their presence may influence treatment decisions.
To investigate the influences of the diffusion gradient directions (angular resolution) and the strength of the diffusion gradient (
value) on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and tractography of various connective tissues in knee joint.

Two rat knee joints were scanned on a preclinical 9.4-T system using a 3-dimensional diffusion-weighted spin echo pulse sequence. One protocol with
value of 500, 1500, and 2500 s/mm
were acquired separately using 43 diffusion gradient directions. The other protocol with
value of 1000 s/mm
was performed using 147 diffusion gradient directions. The in-plane resolution was 45 µm isotropic. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were compared at different angular resolution. Tractography was quantitatively evaluated at different
values and angular resolutions in cartilage, ligament, meniscus, and growth plate.

The ligament showed higher FA value compared with growth plate and cartilage. The FA values were largely overestimated at the angular resolution of 6.