Israel Medical Association Journal

Background:  After the introduction of endoscopic techniques to other surgical fields, like general surgery, gynecology and thoracic surgery, cardiac surgeons sought their own methods of using minimally invasive techniques.

Objectives:  To examine whether this approach is less invasive and yields better results, more desirable cosmetic results, and a more rapid and complete rehabilitation, maintaining safety, efficacy, and outcome equivalent to those of more established procedures, such as median sternotomy.

Methods:  From January 2000 to July 2001, 22 patients underwent video-assisted port-access mitral or aortic valve repair or replacement with the Heartport system in our department, and one underwent closure of atrial septal defect.

Results:  Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography revealed excellent functional results. Total operating room time, perfusion time, and cross-clamp time in this technique decreased with our growing experience, and remains stable. There were no intraoperative reversals to mid-steronomy, no mortalities, and only one complication 24 hours after surgery.

Conclusions:  Thoracoscopic assisted cardiac surgery (via port access) provides all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery, accelerates recovery, decreases pain, and maintains overall surgical efficacy, while avoiding the complications and pathology of mid-sternotomy.  For appropriate patients, this is the method of choice in our department.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is often incorporated into osteoarthritis. Although DISH[1] often coexists with OA, patients affected by this disorder differ from patients with primary OA in several aspects: prevalence in the general population, gender distribution, anatomic site of primary involvement, magnitude and distribution in the spine and the peripheral joints. DISH is a distinct clinical entity. Its recognition as such should stimulate clinicians and researchers to focus on its pathogenesis, treatment and prevention.

Background: Acute pharyngitis in children is one of the most frequent illnesses for which primary care physicians are consulted. It is caused more frequently by viruses than by bacteria, but it is difficult to differentiate the causative agent by clinical signs alone. Group A Streptococcus accounts for 30% of children with a sore throat, and only in these cases is antibiotic therapy definitely indicated. However, the frequency and symptomatology of streptococcal pharyngitis in adults is not well established.

Objectives: To examine the clinical features that could distinguish sore throat caused by b-hemolytic group A Streptococcus in adults.

Methods: Patients aged over 16 years old (n=207) who presented with a sore throat to community clinics were examined and throat cultures were taken. The microbiologic confirmation of Group A Streptococcus was correlated with symptoms and clinical signs by univariate analysis.

Results: About 24% of the patients with positive cultures were younger individuals. Chills, absence of cough, pain in swallowing, absence of rhinitis, headache, vomiting, tonsillar exudate, oral malodor, fever >38°C and sweats had high sensitivity but low specificity for streptococcal pharyngitis. Univariate analysis suggested that chills and pharyngeal exudate had the greatest predictive value for streptococcal pharyngitis (P = 0.044, odds ratio 2.45; P = 0.001, OR[1] 5.49, respectively). When compared with a published scoring method (Centor criteria), large inconsistencies were found.

Conclusion: Our adult population had a relatively high prevalence of group A Streptococcus, and their presentation differed from that of pediatric patients. In primary care, a throat swab culture is not necessary in adults with a low score (0–1 points).

Background: Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive disease that is manifested by the development of kidney stones. Mutations in SLC3A1 cause type I disease, while mutations in SLC7A9 are associated with non-type I disease. In Israel cystinuria is especially common among Libyan Jews who suffer from non-type I disease.

Objectives: To compare clinical manifestations of patients with mutations in SLC3A1 to those with mutations in SLC7A9, and to assess the carrier rate among unaffected Libyan Jewish controls.

Methods: Clinical manifestations were evaluated in patients with mutations in SLC3A1 and in patients with mutations in SLC7A9. Carrier rates for two SLC7A9 mutations were assessed in 287 unaffected Libyan Jewish controls.

Results: Twelve patients with mutations in SLC3A1 were compared to 15 patients with mutations in SLC7A9. No differences were detected between the patients with mutations in SLC3A1 and those with mutations in SLC7A9 in relation to the age of disease onset, the estimated number of stones, the number of invasive procedures, the number of patients receiving drug therapy, or the patients’ urinary pH. Eleven of the unaffected Libyan Jewish controls were found heterozygotes for the V170M mutation, establishing a carrier rate of 1:25. The 1584+3 del AAGT mutation was not found in any of the Libyan Jewish controls.

Conclusion: Mutations in SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 cystinuria patients result in indistinguishable disease manifestations. The high carrier rate among Libyan Jews is a result of a single missense mutation, V170M.
 

Background: Little information is available on the clinical practice and implementation of guidelines in treating acute myocardial infarction patients in Israel.

Objective: To assess patient characteristics, hospital course, management, and 30 day clinical outcome of all AMI[1] patients hospitalized in Israel during a 2 month period in 2000.

Method: We conducted a prospective 2 month survey of consecutive AMI patients admitted to 82 of 96 internal medicine departments and all 26 cardiac departments operating in Israel in 2000. Data were collected uniformly by means of a hospital and 30 day follow-up form.

Results: During the survey 1,683 consecutive patients with a discharge diagnosis of AMI were included. Their mean age was 66 years; 73% were male. The electrocardiographic pattern on admission revealed ST elevation, non-ST elevation and an undetermined ECG[2] in 63%, 34% and 4% of patients respectively. Aspirin and heparin were given to 95% of patients. Beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were given to 76% and 65% of patients respectively. Among hospital survivors, 45% received lipid-lowering drugs. Thrombolytic therapy was administered in 28% of patients, coronary angiography was used in 45%, and 7% of patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The 7 and 30 day mortality rates were 7% and 11% respectively.

Conclusions: This nationwide survey shows that one-third of the AMI patients in Israel are elderly (≥ 75 years). The survey suggests that clinical guidelines for the management of patients with AMI are partially implemented in the community. Data from large surveys representing the "real world" practice are of utmost importance for the evaluation of clinical guidelines, research and educational purposes.

Background: Human parvovirus B19 is responsible for a variety of clinical syndromes, such as erythema infectiosum, non-immune hydrops fetalis, transient aplastic anemia, and arthropathies. HPV is also suspected of playing a role in the pathogenesis of various chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Kawasaki disease and multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: To study the age distribution and clinical presentation of patients hospitalized for human parvovirus B19 infection.

Method: We reviewed the case records of all pediatric patients with serologic evidence of HPV infection who were admitted during a 20 month period to a major community hospital

Results: Of 128 children tested for HPV, 48 had evidence of acute infection based on the presence of immunoglobulin M antibodies; 8 patients who also had positive IgM for other viruses were excluded, thus 40 case records were studied. The mean age of the patients was 5.21 years, but 22 patients were under 4: The clinical presentations included 25 patients with fever, either recurrent or prolonged, accompanied in some by enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes, skin rash and arthropathy; the remaining patients were investigated for anemia, skin rash, joint complaints and hepatitis. In addition; HPV infection was documented in several well-defihed clinical conditions, such as SLE, vasculitic skin lesions, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, pure red cell aplasia, and optic neuritis.

Conclusions: In a group of 40 pediatric patients exhibiting anti-HPV IgM antibodies, a younger age and less common clinical presentations were observed, furthermore 5 patients had clinical syndromes in which the causative role of HPV infection was not clear.

Background: Acute renal infarction is an oft-missed diagnosis. As a result; its true incidence, although presumed to be low, is actually unknown. Surprisingly, the medical literature on the subject, other than anecdotal case reports, is scarce.

Objectives: To increase physician awareness of the diagnosis and to identify predictive clinical and laboratory features of the entity.

Method: Between 1 November 1997 and 31 October 2000, 11 cases of acute renal infarction in 10 patients were diagnosed in our center by contrast-enhanced computerized tomography. The medical charts of these patients were reviewed regarding risk factor, clinical presentation, possible predictive laboratory examinations, and out-come.

Results: During the 36 month observation period, the incidence of acute renal infarction was 0.007%. The mean age of the patients (5 men and 5 women) was 67.4 + 21.1 (range 30-87 years). In four cases the right and in five the left kidney was involved; in the other. two cases bilateral:involvement was seen. In 7/10 patients, an increased risk for thromboembolic events was found. Six had chronic atrial fibrillation and one had a combined activated protein C resistance and protein S deficiency, Three patients had suffered a previous thromboembolic event. Two cases were receiving anticoagulant therapy with an INR of 1.6 and 1.8, respectively. On admission, flank pain was recorded in 10/11, fever in 5 and nausea/vomiting in 4 cases. Hematuria was detected in urine reagent strips in all cases; Serum lactate dehydrogenase and white blood cell count were elevated in all cases (1,570 + 703 IU/L and 12,988 + 3,841/ l, respectively). In no case was the diagnosis of acute renal infarction  initially entertained. The working diagnoses were .renal colic in 2 pyelonephritis in 3, renal carcinoma, digitails intoxication, and suspected endocarditis in one patient each, and an acute abdomen in 3. Time from admission to definitive CT diagnosis ranged from 24 hours to 6 days; Three patients were treated with intravenous heparin and another with a combination of IV heparin and renal intra-arterial urokinase infusion with, in the latter case, no recovery of function of the affected kidney. With the exception of this one patient (with a contralateral contracted kidney) who required maintenance dialysis, in all other cases serum creatinine levels. remained unchanged or reverted to the baseline mean of 1.1 mg/dl (0.9-1.2).

Conclusions: Acute renal infarction is not as rare as previously assumed. The entity is often misdiagnosed. Unilateral flank pain in a patient with an increased risk for thromboembolism should raise the suspicion of renal infarction. In such a setting, hematuria, leuaocytosis and an elevated LDH level are strongly supportive of the diagnosis.

Background: Head louse infestations are prevalent worldwide. Over the past 20-25 years, 15-20% of all children in Israel between 4 and 13 years of age have been infested with head lice; This is mainly due to the existence of ineffective pediculicides on the market.

Objective: To examine the pediculicidal efficacy and safety of a natural remedy (”Chick-Chack") and to compare it in an open clinical study with a known pesticide spray.

Methods: The natural remedy, which contains coconut oil, anise ail and ylang ylang oil:, was applied to the hair of infested.children three times at 5 day intervals. Each treatment lasted for 15 minutes. The control pediculicide was a spray, formulation containing permethrin, malathion, piperonyl butoxide, isododecane and propellant gas, which was applied twice for 10 minutes with a 10 day interva1 between applications.

Results: Of 940 Children, aged 6-14 years, from six schools in Jerusalem who were examined for head louse infestastion,199 (21:.2÷/) were infested with lice and eggs, while 164 (17.4% ) were infested only  with nits. Altogether, 119 children were randomly treated with either the natural remedy or the control product. Treatment was successful with the natural remedy  in 60 children (92.3%) and with the control pediculicide in 59 children (92.2%). There were no significant side effects associated with either formulation.

Conclusions: The natural remedy was very effective in controlling  louse infestations under clinical conditions and caused no serious side effects.
 

Background: The prevalence of clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters in systemic lupus erythematosus differ among various ethnic groups. Few studies have reported on SLE[1] in Arabs.

Objectives: To summarize the demographic, clinical and laboratory features of Arab SLE patients and to compare them with other series from different Arab countries.

Methods: We reviewed the charts of all Arab SLE patients who had been seen at the Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, the Nazareth Hospital and the Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth, and a professional clinic (a referral outpatient clinic of the largest health maintenance organization in Israel) in Acre – all cities in northern Israel. Only patients with symptoms of more than one year were included. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were documented and compared with those of four series from different Arab countries.

Results: The study group comprised 34 patients. The majority of the patients was Moslem; there were a few Druze and one Christian. There was no statistical difference between our patients and any of the other Arab series in terms of arthritis, neuropsychiatric manifestations and VDRL. The presence of serositis and mucocutaneous manifestations was significantly lower in our series compared to some of the other series. However, there was significantly less renal involvement in our patients compared to each of the other series.

Conclusions: The prevalence of most clinical and laboratory parameters in Israeli Arab SLE patients is comparable to that of other series of SLE patients from different Arab countries. The prevalence of renal involvement in Israeli Arab SLE patients seems to be lower than in SLE patients from different Arab countries.

The chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard affects primarily the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Of these, ocular injury is the most immediate and distressing. Learning to recognize ocular injury enables the treating physician to provide early and suitable treatment, which will reduce complications and allow the victim a rapid recovery.

Background: Small bowel diverticula are usually asymptomatic and rare. Their importance is based on the fact that they carry the risk of serious complications.

Objective: To study the implications and the therapeutic approach regarding small bowel diverticulosis.

Methods: The medical records of 54 patients with diverticular disease of the small bowel, including Meckel’s and duodenum diverticula, were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of the 32 male and 22 female patients was 53.2 years.

Results: Diverticula were found in the duodenum in 11 cases, in the jejunum and ileum in 21 cases, and with Meckel’s diverticula in 22 cases. In 24% of the patients the diverticula were multiple. The most common clinical symptom was abdominal pain, in 44.4%. Most of the duodenum diverticula were asymptomatic; 47.6% of the patients with diverticular disease located in the jejunum and ileum presented with chronic symptoms. The overall diagnostic rate for symptomatic diverticula before surgery was 52.7%; in 33.3% diverticula were found incidentally during other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Forty-one patients were managed surgically: 15 patients were operated on urgently because of infection or rupture, 4 patients for bleeding, 5 patients for intestinal obstruction and one patient for jaundice.

Conclusions: The incidence of asymptomatic small bowel diverticula is difficult to ascertain. Patients with Meckel’s and duodenal diverticula are usually asymptomatic, while the majority of jejunal and ileal diverticula patients present with chronic symptoms. The preoperative diagnostic rate is higher for duodenal diverticula. Small bowel diverticula do not require surgical treatment unless refractory symptoms or complications occur.