Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5750/1510004

Vancomycin Hypersensitivity Reaction Presenting with Extensive Oral Ulcerations

Justin G. Hastings, Alok Vij and Anthony P. Fernandez

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: August 15, 2015

Vancomycin therapy is associated with several hypersensitivity reactions, the most common being the non-immunologically mediated 'red man syndrome'. Fever, rash, neutropenia, and other manifestations have also been variably associated with a vancomycin hypersensitivity reaction that is likely immunologically mediated. Here we report a 45-year old man who developed diffuse oral aphthous-like ulcers as the most prominent manifestation of vancomycin hypersensitivity reaction. We identified only two...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-346X/1410035

Introduction of Basic and Advanced Techniques of Ophthalmic Surgery in Myanmar

Carl-Ludwig Schonfeld, Chaw Wai Lwin, Volker Klaub, San Hlaing, Thazin Shwe, Mya Thandar So, San Myint, Claudia Klaub, Tomas Schaal, Martin Gruterich and Tin Win

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: September 01, 2015

Purpose: We report our fist experience with the introduction of an external teaching programme in Myanmar, a country that has only recently opened to the rest of the world. Methods: 19 eyes in 18 patients were treated by surgical teams comprising a German senior surgeon and a local ophthalmologist. Diagnoses and treatment procedures were recorded, and visual acuity was measured before and 1-7 days after surgery....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-346X/1410034

Retrospective Comparison of Scleral Flap and Scleral Burial Techniques to Fixate A Scleral Sutured Intraocular Lens Concurrently with Penetrating Keratoplasty

Bora Yuksel, Alper Gulucu, Umut Duygu Uzunel and Tuncay Kusbeci

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: August 25, 2015

Definitive surgical treatment of aphakia in the presence of corneal opacity is secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation combined with penetrating keratoplasty (PK). The two main locations for IOL implantation are in the anterior chamber (ACIOL) and in the posterior chamber (PCIOL). Insertion of PCIOLs can be performed by capsular-supported, iris-supported, or transsclerally sutured PCIOL. Each technique has strengths and weaknesses with respect to surgical difficulty, operative time, and co...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-346X/1410033

Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Retinal Diseases: The Role of Intracellular Signaling in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Melina V. Mateos, Paula E. Tenconi, Norma M. Giusto and Gabriela A. Salvador

Article Type: Review Article | First Published: August 23, 2015

Inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) are common factors involved in the pathogenesis of several retinal diseases that eventually end in vision loss and blindness, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinitis pigmentosa and uveitis. Most of the studies on the above mentioned diseases have been focused on the neural retina. However, in view of the importance of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the maintenance of photoreceptors' (PR) viability and vi...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3001/2/2/1031

Corpora Amylacea in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Cause or Effect?

Troy T. Rohn

Article Type: Review Article | First Published: August 28, 2015

The presence of corpora amylacea (CA) in the CNS is associated with both normal aging and neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). CA are spherical bodies ranging in diameter (10-50 micro meter) and whose origin has been documented to be derived from both neural and glial sources. CA are reported to be primarily composed of glucose polymers, but approximately 4% of the total weight of CA is consistently composed of protein. CA are typically loc...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3001/2/2/1030

Acute Treatment with Renal Denervation in a Patient with Resistant Hypertension and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Francesco Versaci, Antonio Trivisonno, Luca Brunese and Francesco Prati

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: August 28, 2015

A 49-year-old man with refractory hypertension was admitted to our hospital in a coma caused by hemorrhagic stroke. Severe hypertension was observed during hospitalization despite a full antihypertensive therapy. Considering the risk of enlargement of the intracranial hematoma, the decision was made to perform renal denervation (RDN). A significant blood pressure reduction was obtained after RDN. The patient had a progressive improvement of general conditions and came out of the coma after a few...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3419/2/3/1020

Reducing Sample Sizes in Phase II Trials based on Exact Binomial Tests by Shifting Design Parameters

Dirk Klingbiel, Qiyu Li and Martin Bigler

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: August 20, 2015

Currently, a large number of new anticancer agents is accompanied by constrained resources, requiring prioritization. In addition, emerging molecular subtypes subdivide common cancer entities into rare diseases, making it harder to conduct phase II trials as a crucial step in drug development and therapy optimization. We extend a recent work by Khan et al. on the design of phase II clinical trial based on exact binomial tests....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5777/1510005

Primary Total Elbow Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Complex Elbow Fracture: A Case Report

Pedro Miguel Campos, Barbara Rosa, Andre Barros, Carlos Durao, Gloria Magalhaes, Clara Julio and Pedro Quinaz Neto

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: August 01, 2015

A 54-year-old male patient presented at our emergency department in the sequence of a motorcycle accident, which caused an open fracture of the left elbow, classified as type IIIB of Gustilo and Anderson. The X-ray showed comminuted fractures of distal humerus and proximal ulna with bone loss from both epiphysis. He started antibiotherapy and was submitted to immediate surgical debridement, provisional fixation with an external fixator and skin closure. The external fixator was removed 2 months ...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2474-3631/1510008

The Impact of Respondent Type on Treatment Facility Performance Evaluations - Do Alumni and their Friends and Family Prioritize different Offerings?

Alexander K. Moler, Alexandra Carlin and Ruchi M. Sanghani

Article Type: Original Research Article | First Published: August 17, 2015

Objective: The primary objective of this investigation is to determine if alumni prioritize aspects of addiction treatment in facility performance reviews differently than loved ones (i.e. friends and/or family) of treatment alumni. Design: Alumni of addiction treatment facilities and friends and/or family members of alumni were queried through an online survey, which contained open-ended questions asking the respondents to identify their respective facility's strengths and weaknesses....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5718/1510015

Paediatric Hip Pain: A Rare Injury

Raj Subbu and Fares Haddad

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: August 07, 2015

Paediatric hip pain in young athletes can be a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. The anatomy of the paediatric pelvis and surrounding structures varies considerably to that of an adult and therefore is predisposed to different types of injuries which can lead to future deformities if not managed appropriately. Unlike adult pelvic fractures, which have set guidelines and management strategies, less research exists on these injuries in the paediatric context and more specifically in the sportin...