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Rising Prevalence (rising + prevalence)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis after fundoplication for ,refractory reflux': implications for preoperative evaluation

DISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 3 2010
Evan S. Dellon
SUMMARY A small percentage of patients who carry the diagnosis of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) actually have eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The purpose of this study was to describe a series of patients who underwent fundoplication for presumed refractory GERD, but subsequently were found to have EoE. We performed a retrospective analysis of our EoE database. Patients diagnosed with EoE after Nissen were identified. Cases were defined according to recent consensus guidelines. Five patients underwent anti-reflux surgery for refractory GERD, but were subsequently diagnosed with EoE. None had esophageal biopsies prior to surgery, and in all subjects, symptoms persisted afterward, with no evidence of wrap failure. The diagnosis of EoE was typically delayed (range: 3,14 years), and when made, there were high levels of esophageal eosinophilia (range: 30,170 eos/hpf). A proportion of patients undergoing fundoplication for incomplete resolution of GERD symptoms will be undiagnosed cases of EoE. Given the rising prevalence of EoE, we recommend obtaining proximal and distal esophageal biopsies in such patients prior to performing anti-reflux surgery. [source]

Ranula: another HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion in Zimbabwe?

ORAL DISEASES, Issue 4 2004
MM Chidzonga
Aim:, To show that sublingual ranula is associated with HIV/AIDS and as such should be considered an HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion in Zimbabwe. Objectives:, To retrospectively study the prevalence, age and gender distribution, the HIV serostatus of ranula patients and the trend in prevalence of ranula and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in patients at the two largest referral Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialist centres in Harare, Zimbabwe. To use this information to infer an association between ranula and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. Design:, Descriptive study with a retrospective and prospective component. Setting:, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical clinics at specialist referral hospitals, Harare Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa Government Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects:, Eighty-three cases of ranula were studied: 45 cases retrospectively and 38 consecutively. A total of 231 cases of KS were studied retrospectively. Methods:, Histopathologic records of patients who presented with ranula and KS during the period January 1981 to September 2003 were studied. Gender and age were recorded for each case. Thirty-eight ranula patients studied consecutively during the period June 1999 to September 2003 were consented for HIV testing. Results:, There were 83 cases of ranula; 43.4% male and 56.6% female. There were 231 cases of KS, 61.2% male and 38.8% female. Male to female ratio was 1:1.3 for ranula and for KS was 1:0.6. Ranula was predominant in the 0,10 year age group (73.5%) while KS was most common in the 21,40 year age group (76.4%). Ranula and KS both had a marked rise in prevalence from 1992 to 2003. A total of 88.5% of the ranula cases tested HIV positive with 95% in the 0,10 year age group. Conclusion:, There was a rising prevalence of ranula which mirrors that of KS (an HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion) and that 88.5% of ranula patients were HIV positive with 95% of them in the 0,10 year age group. Sublingual ranula should thus be considered another HIV/AIDS associated lesion in Zimbabwe, especially in children. [source]

Autism spectrum disorders: clinical and research frontiers

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2008
Richard Reading
Autism spectrum disorders: clinical and research frontiers . CaronnaE. B., MilunskyJ. M. & Tager-FlusbergH. ( 2008 ) Archives of Disease in Childhood , 93 , 518 , 523 . DOI: 10.1136/adc.2006.115337 . Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders that occur along a broad continuum of severity with impairments in social interactions, communication and behaviour. This review highlights recent advances in autism research that shed light on the causes of the disorder and that have implications for clinical practice. It focuses on (1) the rising prevalence of ASD with attention given to recent epidemiological studies, (2) important genetic discoveries that may affect clinical evaluation of children with ASD, (3) active areas of research in cognitive neuroscience that seek to explain the underlying mechanisms of a complex disorder and (4) important studies on clinical populations with implications for screening and early identification of infants and toddlers with ASD. [source]

A case,control study of dietary and erythrocyte membrane fatty acids in asthma

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 8 2004
E. C. Broadfield
Summary Background Epidemiological evidence suggests that increased dietary ,-6 and reduced ,-3 fatty acid intake, may have contributed to the rising prevalence of asthma, but these hypotheses have not been tested in studies comparing both dietary intake and objective measures of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Objective To assess whether a higher intake of ,-6 or a lower intake of ,-3 fatty acids increases the risk of asthma, by measuring dietary fatty acid intake by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and erythrocyte membrane fatty acids, as an objective biomarker of intake. Methods We have compared individual fatty acid intake estimated by FFQ and by mass spectrometry of fasting erythrocyte cell membranes in 89 cases of asthma and 89 community-matched controls. Results The odds of asthma were increased in relation to intake of the ,-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (odds ratio (OR) for difference between the 25th and 75th centiles of intake=1.89, 95% CI 1.15,3.11) and docosahexaenoic acid (OR=2.11, 95% CI 1.19,3.74). There was no evidence of any difference in erythrocyte membrane levels of ,-3 fatty acids, while the odds of asthma were reduced in relation to linoleic acid (,-6) membrane levels (OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.21,0.95). Conclusion These findings suggest that dietary ,-3 fatty acids do not play a major role in protecting against asthma, and that higher levels of erythrocyte membrane linoleic acid are associated with a lower risk of asthma. [source]