scholarly journals Canine Angiostrongylosis in Naturally Infected Dogs: Clinical Approach and Monitoring of Infection after Treatment

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Paradies ◽  
Manuela Schnyder ◽  
Antonio Capogna ◽  
Riccardo Paolo Lia ◽  
Mariateresa Sasanelli

Canine angiostrongylosis is an increasingly reported disease in Europe which can be fatal if left untreated. The wide range of clinical presentation along with the absence of pathognomonic alterations can make the diagnosis challenging; thus any additional information that may provide clues to an early diagnosis may be of value, in order to ensure adequate anthelmintic treatment. Aim of the study was to assess a clinicopathological scoring system associated with naturalAngiostrongylus vasoruminfection diagnosed in canine patients during clinical practice, to clinically and paraclinically monitor infected dogs after treatment, and to monitor the presence of L1 larvae in faecal samples by Baermann's test. Of the total 210 enrolled animalsA. vasoruminfection was diagnosed in 7 dogs. These dogs were clinically and paraclinically investigated and monitored after specific treatment. Further 3 symptomatic dogs were retrospectively included in the monitoring. Results suggest that the computed scoring system can help to increase the clinical suspicion of infection particularly in asymptomatic dogs before the onset of potentially lethal lesions. Data of faecal monitoring suggested that treatment may control parasite burden but be unable to eradicate infection. Thus, a continued faecal monitoring after treatment is advisable for identification of still infected or reinfected dogs.

Author(s):  
V. B. Voitenkov ◽  
V. N. Komantsev ◽  
E. V. Ekusheva ◽  
A. V. Klimkin ◽  
N. V. Skripchenko

We provide data on neurophysiology and ultrasound of phrenic nerve. In the visualization of the phrenic nerve the main role is played by ultrasound. Conduction study of the phrenic nerve, if performed properly, is a simple and reliable method. In pediatric population, though, age dynamic and wide range of normative parameters has to be taken into the consideration. Ultrasound of the phrenic nerve allows visualization of the anatomical continuity of the nerve trunk of the nerve at the level of the neck and objectively assess the thickness of the nerve, which provides additional information to the doctor in clinical practice.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Salem A. Beshyah ◽  
Fauzia Rashid ◽  
Elamin Ibrahim Abdelgadir

<b><i>Backgrounds:</i></b> The Eleventh Diabetes and Endocrine Virtual Congress (EDEC 2021) was held on March 4–6, 2021, due to the COVID pandemic. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> We aimed to present highlights of the congress proceedings. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> The journal appointed 3 rapporteurs to prepare this congress report. They prepared assigned sections and reviewed the rest of the manuscript, and approved its final version. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The conference contents over 3 days included a wide range of lectures by world-class experts and key opinion leaders on various topical subjects, endocrinology, diabetes care, and metabolism, in addition to original data from submitted abstracts. The clinical approach to managing a pituitary mass, contemporary management of acromegaly, and the relationship between growth hormone and neoplasia were discussed. The virtual EDEC 2021 provided a comprehensive review of topical issues concerning clinical practice and research in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism. Predictably, the thyroid took the scene’s center, spanning many subjects from hypothyroidism, pregnancy care, thyroid nodules, and cancer management. Rational approaches to pituitary disease and acromegaly were valuable for practicing endocrinologists. Recent advances in adrenal disease were valuable, practical, and futuristic. The reviews on bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis at large and during the COVID-19 pandemic were fascinating. On the diabetes side, emphasis on the cardiovascular outcomes, the use of newer agents when compelling indications exist, and the role of technology were precious contributions. Some of the classical questions were addressed and revisited, such as endocrinology of thalassemia, precocious puberty, and testosterone replacement. The newer and future lipid-modifying therapies were stimulating, mainly when high-risk patients are considered. Imaging, immunology, and molecular biology took their share in various presentations. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The virtual EDEC 2021 provided a comprehensive review of topical issues concerning clinical practice and research in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism. Many new concepts were introduced in diabetes care and endocrinology, bringing the audience to the forefront of research and world-class clinical practice.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Gianfranco Sinagra ◽  
Michele Moretti ◽  
Giancarlo Vitrella ◽  
Marco Merlo ◽  
Rossana Bussani ◽  
...  

In recent years, outstanding progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiomyopathies. Genetics is emerging as a primary point in the diagnosis and management of these diseases. However, molecular genetic analyses are not yet included in routine clinical practice, mainly because of their elevated costs and execution time. A patient-based and patient-oriented clinical approach, coupled with new imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance, can be of great help in selecting patients for molecular genetic analysis and is crucial for a better characterisation of these diseases. This article will specifically address clinical, magnetic resonance and genetic aspects of the diagnosis and management of cardiomyopathies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evalien Veldhuijzen ◽  
Iris Walraven ◽  
Jose Belderbos

BACKGROUND The Patient Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) item library covers a wide range of symptoms relevant for oncology care. To enable implementation of PRO-CTCAE-based symptom monitoring in clinical practice, there is a need to select a subset of items relevant for specific patient populations. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a PRO-CTCAE subset relevant for patients with lung cancer. METHODS The PRO-CTCAE-based subset for lung cancer patients was generated using a mixed methods approach based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines for developing questionnaires, consisting of a literature review and semi-structured interviews with both lung cancer patients and health care practitioners (HCPs). Both patients and HCPs were queried on the relevance and impact of all PRO-CTCAE items. Results were summarized and, after a final round of expert review, a selection of clinically relevant items for lung cancer patients was made. RESULTS A heterogeneous group of lung cancer patients (n=25) from different treatment modalities and HCPs (n=22) participated in the study. A final list of eight relevant PRO-CTCAE items was created: decreased appetite, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, sadness, and pain (general). CONCLUSIONS Based on literature and both professional and patient input, a subset of PRO-CTCAE items has been identified for use in lung cancer patients in clinical practice. Future work is needed to confirm the validity and effectiveness of this PRO-CTCAE lung cancer subset internationally, and in the real-world clinical practice setting.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Mafalda Dordio ◽  
Relja Beck ◽  
Telmo Nunes ◽  
Isabel Pereira da Fonseca ◽  
Jacinto Gomes

Abstract Background Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are caused by a wide range of pathogens transmitted by arthropods. They have been an issue of growing importance in recent years; however, there is limited information about the vector-borne pathogens circulating in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to detect canine vector-borne bacteria and protozoa of veterinary and zoonotic importance using molecular methods. Methods One hundred and forty-two dogs from Lisbon, southern Portugal, were tested: 48 dogs from a veterinary hospital clinically suspected of vector-borne diseases and 94 apparently healthy dogs from shelters. Anaplasma spp./Ehrlichia spp., Babesia/Theileria spp., Hepatozoon spp., and Mycoplasma spp. infections were detected by PCR from blood samples and examined under light microscopy. Other information including clinical status and diagnostic test results were collected for each animal. Results Infections were detected by PCR in 48 (33.80%) dogs. Single infections were found in 35 dogs (24.64%), and co-infections were found in 13 (9.15%) dogs. Twenty-nine (20.42%) dogs were positive for Hepatozoon spp., 15 (10.56%) for Mycoplasma spp., 11 (7.75%) for Anaplasma spp./Ehrlichia spp., and six (4.21%) for Babesia spp. DNA sequencing was used to identify Babesia vogeli (2.81%), Babesia canis (1.40%), Hepatozoon canis (20.42%), Mycoplasma haematoparvum (2.11%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (8.45%), Anaplasma platys (7.04%), and Ehrlichia canis (0.70%). Conclusions This is the first molecular identification of B. canis and M. haematoparvum in dogs from southern Portugal. This study highlights the importance of molecular methods to identify CVBD pathogens in endemic areas and helps to guide the clinical approach of veterinarians in practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 715
Author(s):  
Thanuja Dharmadasa

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by its marked clinical heterogeneity. Although the coexistence of upper and lower motor neuron signs is a common clinical feature for most patients, there is a wide range of atypical motor presentations and clinical trajectories, implying a heterogeneity of underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Corticomotoneuronal dysfunction is increasingly postulated as the harbinger of clinical disease, and neurophysiological exploration of the motor cortex in vivo using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has suggested that motor cortical hyperexcitability may be a critical pathogenic factor linked to clinical features and survival. Region-specific selective vulnerability at the level of the motor cortex may drive the observed differences of clinical presentation across the ALS motor phenotypes, and thus, further understanding of phenotypic variability in relation to cortical dysfunction may serve as an important guide to underlying disease mechanisms. This review article analyses the cortical excitability profiles across the clinical motor phenotypes, as assessed using TMS, and explores this relationship to clinical patterns and survival. This understanding will remain essential to unravelling central disease pathophysiology and for the development of specific treatment targets across the ALS clinical motor phenotypes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2457
Author(s):  
Birgit J. Gerecke ◽  
Rolf Engberding

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM) has gained increasing attention over the past twenty years, but in daily clinical practice NCCM is still rarely considered. So far, there are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria and some groups even refuse to acknowledge it as a distinct cardiomyopathy, and grade it as a variant of dilated cardiomyopathy or a morphological trait of different conditions. A wide range of morphological variants have been observed even in healthy persons, suggesting that pathologic remodeling and physiologic adaptation have to be differentiated in cases where this spongy myocardial pattern is encountered. Recent studies have uncovered numerous new pathogenetic and pathophysiologic aspects of this elusive cardiomyopathy, but a current summary and evaluation of clinical patient management are still lacking, especially to avoid mis- and overdiagnosis. Addressing this issue, this article provides an up to date overview of the current knowledge in classification, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and diagnostic evaluation, including genetic testing, treatment and prognosis of NCCM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavian Tabotta ◽  
Gilbert R. Ferretti ◽  
Helmut Prosch ◽  
Samia Boussouar ◽  
Anne-Laure Brun ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute or chronic non-neoplastic diffuse mediastinal diseases have multiple causes, degrees of severity, and a wide range of management. Some situations require emergency care while others do not need specific treatment. Although the diagnosis may be suspected on chest X-ray, it is mainly based on CT. A delayed recognition is not uncommonly observed. Some findings may prompt the radiologist to look for specific associated injuries or lesions. This pictorial review will successively describe the various non-neoplastic causes of diffuse mediastinal diseases with their typical findings and major differentials. First, pneumomediastinum that can be provoked by extra- or intra-thoracic triggers requires the knowledge of patient’s history or recent occurrences. Absence of any usual etiological factor should raise suspicion of cocaine inhalation in young individuals. Next, acute mediastinitis may be related to post-operative complications, esophageal perforation, or contiguous spread of odontogenic or retropharyngeal infections. The former diagnosis is not an easy task in the early stage, owing to the similarities of imaging findings with those of normal post-operative appearance during the first 2–3 weeks. Finally, fibrosing mediastinitis that is linked to an excessive fibrotic reaction in the mediastinum with variable compromise of mediastinal structures, in particular vascular and airway ones. Differential diagnosis includes tumoral and inflammatory infiltrations of the mediastinum.


2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hale Yarmohammadi ◽  
Lissette Estrella ◽  
John Doucette ◽  
Charlotte Cunningham-Rundles

ABSTRACT Primary immunodeficiency results in recurrent infections, organ dysfunction, and autoimmunity. We studied 237 patients referred for suspicion of immunodeficiency, using a scoring system based on clinical information. The 113 patients with immunodeficiency had higher scores and more episodes of chronic illnesses and were more likely to have neutropenia, lymphopenia, or splenomegaly.


Author(s):  
Graham R. Thew ◽  
Louise Fountain ◽  
Paul M. Salkovskis

AbstractWhile the benefits of routine outcome measurement have been extolled and to some degree researched, it is surprising that service user opinions on this common therapy practice have largely not been investigated. This study aimed to assess service users’ experiences of completing measures during psychological therapy, with a view to exploring how therapists can maximize how helpful measures are in therapy. Fifteen participants completed surveys about the use of measures in their current episode of care. Ten clinicians also completed a survey about their use of, and views about, measures. Results showed that despite mixed experiences in how measures were explained and used, service users showed generally favourable attitudes towards their use in therapy, with them being perceived as most helpful when well integrated into sessions by their therapists. Clinicians reported using a wide range of measures, and generally endorsed positive beliefs about measures more strongly than negative ones. Implications for clinical practice, service development, and further research are discussed.


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