Y. Tal, G. Haber, M.J. Cohen, M. Phillips, A. Revel, D. Varon and A. Ben-Yehuda
N.P Papageorgiou, A. Altman and Y. Shoenfeld
G. Rajz, D. Simon, M. Bakon, O. Goren, J. Zauberman, Z. Zibly, E. Zimlichman and S. Harnof
G. Faris, M. Nashashibi, B. Friedman, A. Stein, Y. Sova and Y. Mecz
J. Freire de Carvalho, A.C. de Medeiros Ribeiro, J.C. Bertacini de Moraes, C. Gonçalves, C. Goldenstein-Schainberg and E. Bonfá
S. Ariad, I. Lipshitz, D. Benharroch, J. Gopas and M. Barchana
Background: Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a distinct primary solid tumor of the immune system that shows wide variation in incidence among different geographic regions and among various races. It was previously suggested that susceptible people living in certain parts of Israel had a higher risk of HL because of exposure to unidentified environmental factors in these regions. Compared with other parts of Israel, these regions were characterized by a higher proportion of Israeli-born Jews.
Objectives: To study time trends in the incidence rate of HL in Israeli-born Jews of all age groups during the years 1960–2005.
Results: A total of 4812 Jewish cases of HL were reported to the Israel Cancer Registry during the study period 1960–2005. There has been a persistent increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of HL, all subtypes pooled, in Israeli-born Jews in both men and women. The age distribution pattern in both genders was bimodal in all periods. The highest incidence was observed in the 20–24 year age group: for women (9.13 per 100,000 per year) during the period 1988–1996, and for men (6.60 per 100,000 per year) during the period 1997–2005.
Conclusions: The reported incidence level of HL in Israeli-born young adult Jews in Israel has increased in recent years to high levels compared with other western countries. Our findings suggest a cohort effect to unidentified factors affecting Israeli-born young adult Jews in Israel.
A. Lahat, M. Nadler, C. Simon, M. Lahav, B. Novis and S. Bar-Meir
Background: Double balloon enteroscopy is a new technique that enables deep intubation of the endoscope into the small bowel lumen. Through a channel in the endoscope, invasive procedures such as biopsy, polypectomy and hemostasis can be performed, avoiding the need for surgery.
Objectives: To prospectively analyze our results of the first 124 DBEs performed since February 2007.
Methods: The study group comprised all patients who underwent DBE at the Sheba Medical Center between February 2007 and February 2009. Recorded were the patients' demographic data, comorbidities, indications for the examination, results of previous non-invasive small bowel imaging (computed tomography enterography, capsule endoscopy, etc), investigation time, and results of the procedure including findings, endoscopic interventions, complications and pathological report.
Results: A total of 124 procedures were performed in 109 patients. Of the 124 examinations, 57 (46%) were normal and 67 (54%) showed pathology. The main pathologies detected on DBE were polyps (14%), vascular lesions (17.6%) and inflammation (12%). Endoscopic biopsies and therapeutic interventions were required in 58 examinations (46%). A new diagnosis was established in 15% of patients, diagnosis was confirmed in 29% and excluded or corrected in 12%. One complication was observed: a post-polypectomy syndrome that was treated conservatively.
Conclusions: DBE is a safe procedure and has a high diagnostic and therapeutic yield. Most of the examinations were performed under conscious sedation, and only a minority of patients required deeper sedation.
L. Shema, L. Ore, R. Geron and B. Kristal
Background: Radiological procedures utilizing intravascular contrast media are being widely applied for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This has resulted in increasing incidence of procedure-related contrast-induced nephropathy. In Israel, data on the incidence of CIN and its consequences are lacking.
Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of CIN among hospitalized patients in the Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya (northern Israel), and to explore the impact of CIN on mortality and length of stay.
Methods: The study group was a historical cohort of 1111 patients hospitalized during the year 2006 who underwent contrast procedure and whose serum creatinine level was measured before and after the procedure. Data were electronically extracted from different computerized medical databases and merged into a uniform platform using visual basic application.
Results: The occurrence of CIN among hospitalized patients was 4.6%. Different CIN rates were noticed among various high risk subgroups such as patients with renal insufficiency and diabetes mellitus (14.1%–44%). Average in-hospital length of stay was almost twice as long among patients with CIN compared to subjects without this condition. Furthermore, the in-hospital death rate among CIN patients was 10 times higher. A direct association was observed between severity of CIN based on the RIFLE classification and risk of mortality.
Conclusions: Low CIN occurrence was demonstrated in the general hospitalized patients (4.6%), and high rates (44%) in selected high risk subgroups of patients (with renal insufficiency or diabetes mellitus). Furthermore, prolonged length of stay and high in-hospital mortality were directly related to CIN severity.