Meir Kestenbaum MD, Daphne Robakis MD, Blair Ford MD, Roy N. Alcalay MD MSc and Elan D. Louis MD MSc
Background: Only a minority of patients with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Data on patient selection factors are useful.
Objectives: To compare the clinical characteristics of ET and PD patients who underwent DBS surgery with those of patients who had not undergone surgery.
Methods: We abstracted data from the electronic medical records of 121 PD and 34 ET patients who underwent DBS surgery at Columbia University Medical Center during the period 2009–2014. We compared this group with 100 randomly selected PD and 100 randomly selected ET patients at the Center who had not undergone DBS surgery.
Results: Among other differences, age of onset in PD patients who had undergone surgery was younger than in those who did not: 14.9% vs. 3.0% with onset before age 40 (P = 0.003). They had also tried nearly double the number of medications (3.9 ± 1.7 vs. 2.3 ± 1.5, P < 0.001). Interestingly, there was no difference in the proportion of patients with tremor (81.0% vs. 88.0%, P = 0.16). Medical co-morbidities (heart and lungs) were less common in the PD patients who underwent DBS surgery. In the ET group, tremor causing impairment in activities of daily living occurred in all surgical patients compared to 73.0% of non-surgical patients (P < 0.001). The former had tried nearly double the number of medications compared to the latter (3.2 ± 1.7 vs. 1.3 ± 1.3, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: These data add to our understanding of the numerous clinical factors associated with patient referral to DBS surgery.
Avivit Brener MD, Eran Mel MD, Shlomit Shalitin MD, Liora Lazar MD, Liat de Vries MD, Ariel Tenenbaum MD, Tal Oron MD, Alon Farfel MD, Moshe Phillip MD and Yael Lebenthal MD
Background: Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are exempt from conscript military service, but some volunteer for national service.
Objectives: To evaluate the effect of national service (military or civil) on metabolic control and incidence of acute diabetes complications in young adults with T1D.
Methods: Clinical and laboratory data of 145 T1D patients were retrieved from medical records. The cohort comprised 76 patients volunteering for national service and 69 non-volunteers. Outcome measures were HbA1c, body mass index-standard deviation scores (BMI-SDS), insulin dosage, and occurrence of severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Results: Metabolic control was similar in volunteers and non-volunteers: mean HbA1c at various time points was: 7.83 ± 1.52% vs. 8.07% ± 1.63 one year before enlistment age, 7.89 ± 1.36% vs. 7.93 ± 1.42% at enlistment age, 7.81 ± 1.28% vs. 8.00 ± 1.22% one year thereafter, 7.68 ± 0.88% vs. 7.82 ± 1.33% two years thereafter, and 7.62 ± 0.80% vs. 7.79 ± 1.19% three years thereafter. There were no significant changes in HbA1c from baseline throughout follow-up. BMI and insulin requirements were similar and remained unchanged in volunteers and controls: mean BMI-SDS one year before enlistment age was 0.23 ± 0.83 vs. 0.29 ± 0.95, at enlistment age 0.19 ± 0.87 vs. 0.25 ± 0.98, one year thereafter 0.25 ± 0.82 vs. 0.20 ± 0.96, two years thereafter 0.10 ± 0.86 vs. 0.15 ± 0.94, and three years thereafter 0.20 ± 0.87 vs. 0.16 ± 0.96. Mean insulin dose in U/kg/day one year before enlistment age was 0.90 ± 0.23 vs. 0.90 ± 0.37, at enlistment age 0.90 ± 0.28 vs. 0.93 ± 0.33, one year thereafter 0.86 ± 0.24 vs. 0.95 ± 0.33, two years thereafter 0.86 ± 0.21 vs. 0.86 ± 0.29, and three years thereafter 0.87 ± 0.23 vs. 0.86 ± 0.28. There were no episodes of severe hypoglycemia or DKA in either group.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that during voluntary national service young adults with T1D maintain metabolic control similar to that of non-volunteers.
Waseem Abboud DMD, Sahar Nadel DMD, Noam Yarom DMD and Ran Yahalom DMD
Background: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders affect roughly 5% of the population. Chronic closed lock is one of the more common temporomandibular disorders and is characterized by limited mouth opening and various degrees of joint pain and dysfunction.
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of arthroscopic lysis and lavage of the TMJ to treat limited mouth opening in patients suffering from chronic closed lock.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 47 patients with chronic closed lock treated with arthroscopic lysis and lavage. Patients were diagnosed preoperatively with closed lock of the TMJ and were unresponsive to previous conservative therapy. Three outcome variables were used to assess the efficacy of treatment: maximal mouth opening, subjective evaluation of overall improvement by the patient (on a 3 grade scale: “excellent,” “fair,” and “poor”), and length of hospital stay. In addition, complications were reported.
Results: The maximal mouth opening values increased from a mean of 27 ± 4.7 mm preoperatively to a mean of 38 mm ± 5.4 mm postoperatively. The subjective evaluation of overall improvement was “excellent” in 15 patients (32%), “fair” in 21 (45%), and “poor” in 11 (23%). Success was defined as a maximal mouth opening of 35 mm or more after arthroscopy, and not reporting a “poor” result in the subjective evaluation. This was achieved in 36 patients, yielding a success rate of 77%. The mean length of hospital stay was less than one day (0.78 days). The complication rate was low (8%) and all complications resolved within 2 weeks.
Conclusion: Arthroscopic lysis and lavage is a simple, safe, and efficient minimally invasive intervention for the treatment of chronic closed lock of the TMJ.
Mordechai Shimonov MD, Lior Leibou MD, Eduard Davidov MD, Olga Bernadsky MD, Julio Wainstein MD and Eyal Leibovitz MD
Background: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection of the gastric mucosa may be involved in the development of insulin resistance (IR).
Objectives: To investigate the association between HP status in stomach biopsies and weight reduction in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).
Methods: In this retrospective analysis of medical charts, all patients who underwent LSG for weight reduction and had at least 1 year of follow-up were included. HP status was ascertained by two to four biopsies of the removed stomach.
Results: The study group comprised 70 patients; their mean age was 45.9 ± 11.9 years and 31.9% were males. Fourteen patients (20%) tested positive for HP colonization in gastric mucosa. HP status was not associated with age or smoking status. No difference was noted in the rate of diabetes mellitus (DM) or hypertension, but patients with HP had lower rates of hyperlipidemia (0 vs. 29 patients, 52%, P < 0.001). Patients lost an average of 10.5 kg/m2 after 12 months of follow-up, and no difference was noted between HP-positive and HP-negative patients. The rate of DM control was also similar between HP-positive and HP-negative patients at baseline (33.3 vs. 29.4, P = NS) and at 12 months of follow-up (70% vs. 50%, P = NS).
Conclusions: HP status was not associated with changes in metabolic profiles and co-morbidity status, or in the efficacy of LSG.
Irena Ulanovsky MD, Morya Shnaider, Yuval Geffen PhD, Tatiana Smolkin MD, Tatyana Mashiah MA and Imad R. Makhoul MD PhD
Background: Due to a shortage of individualized erythromycin ointment (IEO), we switched to shared erythromycin drops (SED). Following this change, nurses claimed observing more cases of eye discharge.
Objectives: To test whether switching from IEO to SED affected the rate of neonatal conjunctivitis (NC).
Methods: The study group included 14,916 neonates > 35 weeks of gestation, further divided into two birth periods of 12 months each: 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 (IEO) and 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2015 (SED). We compared the two birth periods with regard to three variables: clinical NC (number of conjunctival swabs/1000 neonates), bacterial NC (number of culture-positive swabs/1000 neonates), and bacterial growth percentage (number of culture-positive swabs/100 samples).
Results: Compared to 2012–2013, the period 2014–2015 included fewer cesarean deliveries and shorter length of stay (LOS). Clinical NC, bacterial NC and bacterial-growth percentage were not different between the two periods. Variables that were independently significantly associated with increased clinical NC included male gender (OR 1.48, CI 1.21–1.81) and LOS (OR 1.24, CI 1.18–1.29). LOS was associated with bacterial NC (OR 1.19, CI 1.11–1.28). Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the prevalent pathogens, though without difference between periods.
Conclusions: Rates of clinical NC, bacterial NC and bacterial-growth percentage were not different between the study periods. Switching from IEO to SED had no effect on the NC rate.
Noa Lavi MD, Gali Shapira MD, Ariel Zilberlicht MD, Noam Benyamini MD, Dan Farbstein MD, Eldad J. Dann MD, Rachel Bar-Shalom MD and Irit Avivi MD
Background: Despite the lack of clinical studies supporting the use of routine surveillance FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who achieved remission, many centers still use this strategy, especially in high risk patients. Surveillance FDG-PET computed tomography (CT) is associated with a high false positive (FP) rate in DLBCL patients.
Objectives: To investigate whether use of specific CT measurements could improve the positive predictive value (PPV) of surveillance FDG-PET/CT.
Methods: This retrospective study included DLBCL patients treated with CHOP or R-CHOP who achieved complete remission and had at least one positive surveillance PET. CT-derived features of PET-positive sites, including long and short diameters and presence of calcification and fatty hilum within lymph nodes, were assessed. Relapse was confirmed by biopsy or consecutive imaging. The FP rate and PPV of surveillance PET evaluated with/without CT-derived measurements were compared.
Results: Seventy surveillance FDG-PET/CT scans performed in 53 patients were interpreted as positive for relapse. Of these studies 25 (36%) were defined as true-positive (TP) and 45 (64%) as FP. Multivariate analysis found long or short axis measuring ≥ 1.5 and ≥ 1.0 cm, respectively, in PET-positive sites, International Prognostic Index (IPI) ≥ 2, lack of prior rituximab therapy and FDG uptake in a previously involved site, to be independent predictors of true positive surveillance PET (odds ratio 5.4, 6.89, 6.6, 4.9, P < 0.05 for all).
Conclusion: PPV of surveillance PET/CT may be improved by its use in selected high risk DLBCL patients and combined assessment of PET and CT findings.
Orit Erman MD, Arie Erman PhD, Alina Vodonos MPH, Uzi Gafter MD PhD and David J. van Dijk MD
Background: Proteinuria and albuminuria are markers of kidney injury and function, serving as a screening test as well as a means of assessing the degree of kidney injury and risk for cardiovascular disease and death in both the diabetic and the non-diabetic general population.
Objectives: To evaluate the association between proteinuria below 300 mg/24 hours and albuminuria, as well as a possible association with kidney function in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Methods: The medical files of patients with type 1 and type 2 DM with proteinuria below 300 mg/24 hours at three different visits to the Diabetic Nephropathy Clinic were screened. This involved 245 patient files and 723 visits. The data collected included demographics; protein, albumin and creatinine levels in urine collections; blood biochemistry; and clinical and treatment data.
Results: The association between proteinuria and albuminuria is non-linear. However, proteinuria in the range of 162–300 mg/24 hours was found to be linearly and significantly correlated to albuminuria (P < 0.001, r = 0.58). Proteinuria cutoff, based on albuminuria cutoff of 30 mg/24 hours, was found to be 160.5 mg/24 hr. Body mass index (BMI) was the sole independent predictor of proteinuria above 160.5 mg/24 hr. Changes in albuminuria, but not proteinuria, were associated with changes in creatinine clearance.
Conclusions: A new cutoff value of 160.5 mg/hr was set empirically, for the first time, for abnormal proteinuria in diabetic patients. It appears that proteinuria below 300 mg/24 hr is not sufficient as a sole prognostic factor for kidney failure.
Ronen Rubinshtein MD and Ronen Jaffe MD
Nour E. Yaghmour MD PhD, Zvi Israel MD, Hagai Bergman MD PhD, Renana Eitan MD and David Arkadir MD PhD
Yael Fisher MD and Dov Hershkovitz MD PhD
Yishay Wasserstrum MD, Pia Raanani MD, Ran Kornowski MD and Zaza Iakobishvili MD PhD
David Yardeni MD, Ori Galante MD, Lior Fuchs MD, Daniela Munteanu MD, Wilmosh Mermershtain MD, Ruthy Shaco-Levy MD and Yaniv Almog MD
Javier Marco-Hernández MD PhD, Sergio Prieto-González MD, Miquel Blasco MD, Pedro Castro MD PhD, Joan Cid MD PhD and Gerard Espinosa MD PhD
Hussein Sliman MD, Keren Zissman MD, Jacob Goldstein MD, Moshe Y. Flugelman MD and Yaron Hellman MD