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Objectives: This study aimed to compare the antifungal efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) and clotrimazole for treatment of denture stomatitis (DS). Materials and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 50 patients with DS types I and II assigned to two groups (N=25). In the first group, G. lucidum extract was administered in the form of 5% gel while 1% clotrimazole gel was prescribed for the second group. Pain intensity according to the visual analog scale (VAS), and the percentage of DS recovery based on the Budtz-Jorgenson index were evaluated and recorded after 7 and 14 days. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and logistic regression (alpha=0.05). Results: The percentage of complete recovery on day 7 in the G. lucidum group (28%) was higher than that in the clotrimazole group (16%) but not significantly (P=0.592). Not wearing dentures overnight significantly increased the odds of recovery by 6.56 times, while the odds of recovery decreased by 0.03 times in DS type II, as compared to DS type I (P= 0.009). Conclusion: No significant difference existed between the antifungal efficacy of G. lucidum and clotrimazole for clinical treatment of DS. Thus, Ganoderma may be regarded as an alternative treatment, especially in patients' resistant to azoles. Nonetheless, further clinical studies are required to shed more light on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 29-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Bacterial meningitis with multiple sclerosis while receiving Tysabri (natalizumab).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the yield of somatostatin receptor PET in patients with clinical, imaging, and/or biochemical suspicion of a neuroendocrine tumor (NET)., Patients and Methods: This analysis includes patients referred for the initial diagnosis of an unconfirmed NET, as part of a prospective, single-arm registry study (NCT03873870) assessing the utility of 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in the management of NETs. Inclusion criteria to this cohort consisted of elevated biomarkers and/or clinical presentation suspicious for a NET, with negative conventional cross-sectional imaging, or presence of a lesion suspicious for a NET on conventional imaging, not amenable for biopsy. Patients with histological confirmation of a NET were excluded., Results: There were 220 patients included between April 2019 and March 2022 with a mean age ± SD of 59.5 ± 16.1 years with biochemical, morphological, and/or clinical suspicion of a NET. Overall, 132/220 patients (60%) had a positive 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT confirmed a type 2 somatostatin receptor overexpressing tumor in 123/171 (71.9%) of patients with a radiographically suspicious abnormality. The positivity rate for pancreatic, small bowel/mesenteric, adrenal, and other sites was 78/96 (81.2%), 38/57 (66.7%), 7/7 (100%), and 1/11 (9.1%), respectively. 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT was positive in 9/49 (18.4%) of those with a biochemical and/or clinical suspicion of a NET., Conclusions: 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT is positive in nearly 3 of 4 patients with morphological suspicion of a NET, with the highest yield in those with pancreatic and small bowel or mesenteric masses, and in approximately 1 of 6 patients with biochemical and/or clinical suspicion of a NET., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)