Anxiety disorders of childhood, Implications for adult psychopathology

Although the exact path of acquisition remains incompletely understood, research supports the association between anxiety disorders in children and psychopathologic conditions in adults. This article addresses this relationship; reviews findings on the temperamental profile and behavioral inhibition, which may be an early identifiable childhood predictor of later anxiety disorders; and discusses the importance of early intervention.     

FDTD electromagnetic and thermal analysis of interstitial hyperthermic applicators. Finite-difference time-domain

In this paper, the electromagnetic and thermal behavior of interstitial applicators was analyzed by using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method. Two configurations were considered: a simple insulated dipole antenna radiating in a layered tissue, and an air cooled applicator radiating in a tissue-equivalent phantom. The proposed approach allows a detailed modeling of the complete structure of the applicator. Furthermore, Specific Absorption Rate and temperature distributions can be determined considering real clinical or experimental conditions. The temperature distribution for the air cooled applicator has been compared with experimental results.     

Renal amyloidosis in a drug abuser

Drug abusers, particularly those who inject drugs s.c. ("skin popping"), may develop amyloidosis. Chronic infections are thought to play a pathogenetic role in this setting. A patient is presented who had a history of "skin popping" cocaine and heroin and developed nephrotic syndrome, with an elevated serum creatinine and a creatinine clearance of 61 mL/min. Renal biopsy demonstrated amyloidosis. Treatment with colchicine was initiated, and proteinuria decreased to near normal levels after 12 months. Concomitant with the decrease in proteinuria, creatinine clearance improved, although a repeat renal biopsy failed to show any significant improvement in amyloid burden. These observations suggest that colchicine may be a useful treatment in reversing the proteinuria of renal amyloidosis associated with drug abuse. Furthermore, clinical improvement may occur before any demonstrable regression in the amyloidosis.     

Epithelial antibiotics induced at sites of inflammation

The role of antimicrobial peptides in epithelial defense is not fully understood. An epithelial beta-defensin, lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), was isolated from bovine tongue and the corresponding complementary DNA cloned. LAP showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activities. LAP messenger RNA abundance was markedly increased in the epithelium surrounding naturally occurring tongue lesions. This increase coincided with the cellular hallmarks of acute and chronic inflammation in the underlying lamina propria, supporting a role for epithelial antimicrobial peptides as integral components of the inflammatory response.     

Management of rhesus isoimmunization by preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Intracranial osteolipomas are rare lesions which occur in the region of the tuber cinereum. All cases reported to date have been incidental autopsy findings. We describe a patient who presented with a variety of neurological symptoms and had a typical osteolipoma surgically removed.     

Ganciclovir treatment of active hepatitis B virus infection in a heart transplant patient

We report a 51-year-old woman with alopecia caused by sarcoidosis. The lesion enlarged within 4 years and only repeated biopsies enabled the diagnosis. The medical work-up revealed that the patient had asymptomatic pulmonary involvement. Scarring alopecia is a rare complication of sarcoidosis and biopsy from the active margin may lead to the diagnosis.