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In recent years the incidence of fungal sinusitis has increased considerably, due both to increased survival of patients at risk and to improved diagnostic equipment. The pathogen responsible in most cases is the Aspergillus in its forms Fumigatus, Flavus and Niger. The diagnosis is often delayed because the symptoms, characterized by headache, cough, and facial algia, are generally similar to that of chronic bacterial rhinosinusitis. It can be divided into invasive and non-invasive forms based on the clinical evolution and extent of the lesion. We report a case of non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis in a patient with recurrent sinusitis and pain in the left maxillary region, resistant to antibiotic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We will discuss a potential role of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the management of a patient with immobilization syndrome due to paraplegia and vertebral osteoporotic fractures. While PVP is commonly used for the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures, its role in vertebral stabilization in patient with immobilization syndrome has not been reported in the literature. A 73-year-old woman affected by immobilization syndrome due to paraplegia and vertebral osteoporotic fractures was treated with PVP of vertebrae D12, L1, and L4. After PVP, the patient did not need any antalgic therapy, and there was a significant improvement regarding mobilization, performance of physiological functions, daily management of personal care, and treatment of decubitus ulcers, increasing life quality and psychological well-being.

Diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is usually based on the clinical presentation, on the demonstration of the brain lesions at the magnetic resonance imaging examination, and on the detection of the JC virus DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid with high sensitive polymerase chain reaction. The role of magnetic resonance imaging specifically in natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is strengthening, and it is gaining importance not only as an irreplaceable diagnostic tool but also as a surveillance and risk stratifying tool in treated patients. While other imaging techniques such as computed tomography lack sensitivity and specificity, magnetic resonance performed with morphological and functional sequences offers clinicians the possibility to early identify the stage of the disease and the emergence of an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after natalizumab blood removal plasmapheresis.

With our study we wanted to compare the diagnostic accuracy of conventional radiography (orthopanoramic and intraoral radiography) and Cone Beam CT (CBCT) for the diagnosis of periapical lesions on the posterior elements of the upper maxilla endodontically treated.The images were analyzed by a radiologist and an endodontist whose interpretation of radiological examinations is unique. Were examined 34 molars (23 first molars and 13 second molars) with a total of 102 roots. The CBCT detected a significantly higher number of lesions (43%, p <0.001) compared to conventional radiography. Our results demonstrate that the CBCT can be inserted into the diagnostic routine for the evaluation of all pre-prosthetic posterior elements of the upper jaw endodontically treated in addition to the diagnostic techniques 2D, especially when in the treatment plan is provided the realization of an abutment. The CBCT, which has reduction of cost and absorption of radiation with respect to the conventional CT, is also very useful even when there is a need to perform a surgical treatment-endodontic (apicectomy) of a lesion diagnosed with 2D techniques.

After thrombin cleavage, the newly exposed NH2-termini of the beta chains play a role in both fibrin polymerization and fibrin interactions with cells in the process of wound healing. These physiological responses have been shown to be mediated, at least in part, by beta 15-42. To compare the sequence of the beta chain of fibrin across species, the complete coding sequence of the rat fibrinogen B beta chain cDNA was cloned (designated pRB beta 3) and characterized. The sequence newly determined from pRB beta 3 encompassed nucleotides 121-589, encoding residues 9-165 of the mature polypeptide. Significant homology of pRB beta 3 cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences was found when compared with other species' B beta chains. The rat B beta-Arg14-Gly15 thrombin cleavage site is conserved; however, the fibrinopeptide B sequences are only 50% similar when rat is compared with human. In contrast, the beta 15-42 region is 100% similar when allowing for conservative amino acid substitutions. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for human fibrinogen B beta 1-21 (1-8C6) and human fibrin beta 15-21 (59D8 and T2G1) failed to cross-react with rat fibrinogen or fibrin by ELISA, respectively, even though thrombin conversion of rat fibrinogen to fibrin was confirmed. MAb 1-8C6 reacted with reduced and denatured human fibrinogen B beta chain by Western blotting, whereas, MAb T2G1 did not blot with reduced and denatured human fibrin beta chain. A comparative analysis of the binding affinity of the human B beta fibrin(ogen) specific MAbs with B beta fibrin(ogen) from several species suggested that amino acid residues preceding and including Arg14-Gly15 are important in the epitope of the B beta 1-21 specific MAb 1-8C6, and that residues Gly15, Leu19 and/or Lys21 play an important role in the epitope shared by the beta 15-21-specific MAbs T2G1 and 59D8.