Phencyclidine-induced multi-organ failure.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Zinaida Fradin.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Acute liver failure is most commonly caused by either viral infections or drug toxicity. The liver is a common site of metastatic spread of cancer. Nevertheless, metastatic carcinoma of the breast is a rare cause of acute hepatic failure and only 0.44% of cases with fulminant liver failure are manifestations of malignancy, mostly hematological. There are very few reports of acute liver failure due to breast cancer and the prognosis in these cases is bad. This is a case history of a young patient with acute hepatic failure as a presenting symptom for metastatic breast carcinoma, which deteriorated rapidly to a fatal outcome. This case is unique, since only one of 7 cases published so far has no prior breast malignancy history and thus should accentuate the sometimes evasive, yet often fatal nature of advanced breast cancer in women.
Background: Stroke mainly affects the older population, although it has also been reported in younger patients. In this study, we focused on patients 65 years of age or younger with stroke. Methods: The files of three patient populations were studied: 93 patients aged 65 years or younger with stroke (group A), 93 patients older than 65 with stroke (group B), and 604 patients without stroke representing the general population of patients admitted to our service during January 2000 (group C). We reviewed the patient files and compared patient characteristics, epidemiological features, clinical picture,imaging findings, and coagulation tests. Results: Overall, 318 patients were studied. The mean age of group A was 55 years compared to 77 years in group B and 71 years in group C. In both stroke groups (A and B), the male: female ratio was 2:1, in contrast with a balanced ratio in group C. Most of the patients in group A (63%) were of Sephardic origin compared to 39% in group B (P=0.002) and 30% in group C. The clinical picture in both stroke groups (A and B) was similar. The risk factor smoking was reported by 45% in group A and by only 29% in group B (P=0.034). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia were evenly prevalent in both stroke groups. The coagulation system was studied in the "young" patients (group A): hyperhomocysteinemia was found in 37%, high titers of anticardiolipin antibodies in 35%, low levels of antithrombin III in 13%, protein C deficiency in 5%, and activated protein C resistance (APCR) in 4%. Overall, 49% of the patients from group A were found to have coagulation abnormalities. Conclusions: We found in our study that the younger patient with stroke tends to be a Sephardic male with the classical risk factors as well as a history of smoking and coagulopathy. These findings suggest strict medical supervision and primary prophylaxis. This work also lays the basis for a prospective, interventional trial with younger patients.
The current study was aimed at investigating platelet function in MDS and its clinical significance. There were 23 patients with untreated MDS at presentation, including refractory anemia (RA), RA with ringed sideroblasts, RA and excess blasts and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia RAEBt. The mean platelet count was 167.9 x 109/L. Patients with a platelet count less than 70 x 109/l were excluded. The mean bleeding time (BT) was 2.7 min. Only four MDS patients had BT longer than the normal 1-4 min range. Platelet aggregation (PA) was studied with epinephrine (Epi), ADP, arachidonic acid (AA), ristocetin and collagen. Overall, 16 (70%) patients had PA abnormality, 65% had impaired Epi-induced PA, 57% demonstrated reduced ADP-induced PA. AA, ristocetin and collagen was decreased PA in 48, 22 and 17%, respectively. Five patients (22%) demonstrated spontaneous PA. Only seven patients (30%) were found to have normal PA with all five inducers. Six (26%) patients had spontaneous mild bleeding and all six bleeding MDS patients demonstrated at least one abnormal platelet function. The only bleeding patient with all five PA tests normal demonstrated prolonged BT. In the present study of 23 newly diagnosed MDS patients, PA abnormalities were relatively common, the BTs were usually normal, and bleedings were relatively uncommon and mild at platelet count between 70 and 397 x 109/l.
Intravascular large cell lymphoma (IVLL) is a rare neoplasm characterized by the proliferation of malignant lymphoid cells within the lumens of small to medium-sized blood vessels. The central nervous system, skin, and endocrine systems are most commonly involved. IVLL may disseminate to the heart, pancreas, liver, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands. We report a 52-year-old patient who was admitted for fever of unknown origin for 3 weeks, jaundice and abnormal liver function tests. Fever, high levels of bilirubin, severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, and a very fulminant course characterized the clinical picture. Although bone marrow involvement is quite rare, the diagnosis of IVLL in this patient was done by bone marrow biopsy. The patient was treated with CHOP protocol and received the first course but the aggressive disease led to the patient's death.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an uncommon acquired disease in adults, especially young women, characterized by fever, neurologic manifestations, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal dysfunction. Treatment with plasmapheresis has increased the survival rate from 10% to greater than 90%. Still, a subset of patients with resistant TTP fail to respond to plasmapheresis or remain dependent on this procedure. We report such a patient who was successfully treated with rituximab and cyclophosphamide. She has now been disease free for more than 6 months. This novel treatment modality for TTP has been described for only a few patients. A well-controlled clinical trial is warranted to determine the role and place of this therapeutic approach in the management of TTP.
BACKGROUND: Anemia is a known risk factor for ischemic heart disease. Based on knowledge of the physiologic role of oxygen delivery to the myocardium, anemia may be a cause of more severe cardiovascular diseases or a marker of other processes occurring in the body that induce more severe disease. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between anemia and the clinical picture of IHD, including manifestations, severity and complications. METHODS: The population studied comprised 417 similarly aged patients with IHD and anemia. The patients were categorized into subgroups of IHD according to disease severity: namely, angina pectoris, acute ischemia, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure or cardiac arrhythmias. Two populations served as control groups: patients with anemia but no IHD (C-I) and patients with IHD without anemia (C-II). A standard anemia workup was conducted in all patients with IHD and anemia and a correlation was made between the hematologic parameters and the manifestations and complications of IHD. RESULTS: The common presenting symptom was chest pain in the study group and in C-II (94% and 86% respectively) and weakness (90%) in C-I. Patients with IHD and anemia tended to suffer from a more advanced degree of IHD (80%) compared to patients with IHD alone who had milder disease (46%). Hematologic values including hemoglobin, mean cell volume, serum iron and total iron-binding capacity correlated inversely with disease severity among anemic patients with IHD. There were significant differences between the study group and C-II regarding CHF (31% and 18% respectively) and arrhythmias (41% and 16% respectively). The mortality rate was higher in patients with IHD and anemia than in patients with IHD alone (13% and 4% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Anemia is a significant risk factor in IHD. It correlates with advanced IHD, CHF, rhythm disturbance and higher mortality rate. An aggressive therapeutic and preventive approach might improve the outcome of this disease.