Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: The prevalence of traumatic hyphema as well as the distribution of its severity varies between different patient populations. Treatment recommendations in the literature differ significantly among various published reports. This lack of a uniformly accepted treatment probably reflects the different characteristics of this pathology among the populations investigated and calls for a population-adjusted treatment recommendation.

Objectives: To report the characteristics and functional outcome of patients with traumatic hyphema and to discuss possible recommendations regarding the use of ε‑aminocaproic acid.

Methods: A prospective, non-randomized study was conducted among 154 consecutive patients with traumatic hyphema, including data collection of ophthalmic status at various time points, the presence or absence of secondary hemorrhage, and final visual acuity.

Results: Of the 154 eyes studied over 3½ years, nearly 90% had hyphema of grade 1 or less, 3 (3.25%) experienced rebleeding, and 2 (1.3%) – neither of which rebled – needed surgical intervention. None of the four patients who experienced final visual acuity of 6/40 or less suffered rebleeding.

Conclusion: The use of ε‑aminocaproic acid in the studied population was unjustified and routine use of e-aminocaproic acid in our patient population is probably not indicated. A treatment policy regarding e-aminocaproic acid use should be adjusted to the population being treated.

Objectives: To compare risk behavior between subjects attending anonymous and confidential clinics for human immunodeficiency virus testing, and to assess whether anonymous testing results in a higher accrual of persons at risk for HIV.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire that addressed sociodemographic and risk behavior aspects was administered to 140 subjects attending an anonymous clinic and 124 attending a confidential clinic in the Tel Aviv area. A logistic regression analysis was used to compare the effects of various behavioral factors on the probability of attending each clinic.

Results: Chronological age, age at first sexual intercourse and the percent of married subjects were similar in both clinics. However, there was a significant difference in the sex ratio and in educational attainment (85.0% versus 55.6% were males, P< 0.001 and 58% vs. 34% had over 12 years of education, P<0.001, in the anonymous and confidential clinics respectively).

There was a striking difference between the two clinics with regard to sexual experience characteristics: of the subjects reaching the anonymous clinic 21.4% were homosexual and 10.0% bisexual versus a total of 2.6% in the confidential clinic. A logistic regression analysis, comparing the effects of various behavioral factors on the probability of attending each clinic showed that gender (male), high education, homosexuality, number of partners and sexual encounter with sex workers were the strongest predictors for selecting anonymous HIV examination.

Conclusions: Individuals at high risk for HIV, such as homosexuals and bisexuals, prefer to attend an anonymous clinic.
 

Background: Protruding aortic atheromas are a potential source of stroke and systemic emboli. The single modality currently available for their detection has been transesophageal echocardiography. However, TEE does not allow full visualization of the upper part of the ascending aorta and proximal aortic arch.

Objectives: To investigate whether double helical computerized tomography- both with and without contrast injection - may represent a useful technique for noninvasive detection of PAA in stroke patients.

Methods: Forty consecutive patients ≥50 years of age who sustained a recent ischemic stroke and/or systemic emboli (within 15 days after the onset of the event) were enrolled in the study and underwent TEE and DHCT without contrast injection using thin slice acquisition (3.2 mm thickness and 1.5 mm reconstruction increment). In addition, the last eight consecutive patients, after obtaining an unenhanced scan, underwent a contrast-enhanced DHCT following peripheral intravenous injection of a small amount of contrast material (15 ml of diatrizoate).

Results: PAAs were demonstrated by TEE in 18 patients (45%); in 16 of them (89%) the atheromas were recognized by DHCT. Of the 22 patients without PAA on TEE, DHCT confirmed their absence in 18 (82%). DHCT yielded a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 82%, and an overall accuracy of 85%. The total number of protruding plaques detected by TEE was 43, of which 41 (95%) were correctly identified by DHCT. The mean thickness of the plaques was 5.6±2.4 mm on TEE, and 5.4±2.3 on DHCT (P=NS), with a good correlation between the modalities (γ=0.84). Contrast-enhanced DHCT scans demonstrated absolute equivalence to TEE in aortic areas defined as "clearly visualized by TEE." DHCT detected PAA between the distal ascending aorta and the proximal arch in seven patients; these atheromas were not included in the comparative analysis. In these "occult" areas, DHCT may be superior to TEE.

Conclusions: DHCT without contrast injection using thin slice acquisition may become a useful modality for rapid noninvasive detection of PAA. Contrast-enhanced DHCT scans significantly improve imaging quality and may be superior to TEE in the upper ascending aorta and the proximal arch (areas not well visualized by TEE).

__________________________________

TEE= transesophgeal echocardiography

PAA= protruding aortic atheroma

DHCT= dual helical computerized tomography