BACKGROUND: Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral skin infection seen mostly in children. A topical treatment modality for this condition is therefore desirable.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of Imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in Filipino children.
METHODS: Thirty Filipino children age 3 to 18 seen at the Philippine General Hospital outpatient dermatology clinic diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum were enrolled in this open label study. Imiquimod 5% cream was applied to each molluscum lesion and washed off after a contact time of 10 to 12 hours. Resolution of lesions and occurrence of systemic and local side effect were monitored.
RESULTS: Out of the twenty-four (80%) patients who completed the study, 5 (21%) had a less than or equal to 50% decrease in the number of lesions, 14 (58%) a greater than 50% decrease in the number of lesions, and 5 (21%) had complete resolution of all their mollusca. The target lesion resolved in 14 (58%) of the patients. No systemic side effect was observed. While mild to moderate erythema, pruritus, or erosion and mild pain and crusting were the only local side effects noted.
CONCLUSION: This study shows the possible effectiveness of Imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children. This topical medication has no systemic side effect and is well tolerated.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child Preschool ; Aminoquinolines ; Dermatology ; Erythema ; Erythema Multiforme ; Mollusca ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Outpatients ; Pain ; Philippines ; Pruritus

Introduction: Incidence of cancer morbidity and mortality in the Philippines continues to escalate despite the survival rate that much still need to be desired. Few were able to cross the bridge. Still the social processes surrounding cancer survivors’experiences has not been given much attention. Methods: A Grounded Theory was the design selected using in-depth, unstructured interview among ten (10) participants who were considered as cancer survivors. Purposive, snowball and theoretical sampling were used to recruit participants. Interviews were audiotaped or recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was guided by Creswell’s four major phases; open coding, axial coding, selective coding and visual portraying. Memoing, field notes, member checking, audit trail and validation were all integrated with the study to enhance trustworthiness of study findings. Results: Based from the participants’ story, the primary psychosocial process that emerged can be described as “transformational journey”. This core variable explains the complexity of the journey in the life of a cancer survivor. The researchers identified six (6) iterative phases namely: (1) seeking answers; (2) encountering burden; (3) will to survive; (4) exhausting measures to live; (5) becoming a victor and (6) transitioning. Conclusion The findings from this study elucidates that cancer patients who become victorious after battling the disease traverses a transformational journey that defies and changes their perspective at what life is. Healthcare provider should develop protocol on how to support and to assist patient as they battle through the challenges in the different stages of their journey.
Cancer Survivors ; Neoplasms ; Grounded Theory ; Data Analysis

Objective: To explore the relationship between meat consumption and metabolic syndrome (MS) in Chinese adults aged ≥18 years. Methods: The data were obtained from 2010- 2012 National Nutrition and Health Survey. A total of 34 923 subjects who completed the dietary survey, the physical examination and had the testing results of blood sugar and blood lipid levels were enrolled in this study. MS was defined according to the diagnostic criteria of China Diabetes Society 2013. The prevalence ratios of MS and each form of MS and related 95%CI were calculated after post stratification weight according to the population data (2009) released by the national bureau of statistics. Results: The average meat intake among subjects was 94.8 g/d. People who had meat consumption between 100 g/d and 199 g/d had the lowest prevalence of MS, abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia. As the meat consumption increased, the prevalence of MS in men increased. Men who had meat consumption of ≥300 g/d had a higher risk of MS than those who had low level of meat consumption, with prevalence ratio equaled to 1.46 (95%CI: 1.14~1.87). Similar trend was not observed in women. Conclusion: Moderate intake of meat is associated with reduced risk of MS in Chinese adults.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meat ; Metabolic Syndrome/ethnology* ; Obesity, Abdominal/ethnology* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

We report an autopsy case of the brain stem glioma that extended extensively in the brain stem itself and cephalad. This 18-year-old boy first presented with dizziness, vomiting and left side weakness with left facial palsy. Brain MRI revealed a diffusely infiltrative tumor involving whole medulla, pons and lower midbrain. A total of 4000 R was given with some alleviation of respiratory difficulty. He died one year after the onset. Autopsy revealed the tumor involving pons, a portion of medulla oblongata, and cerebellum. The tumor showed diffusely infiltrative pattern and extended along the periventricular area to the thalamus and corpus callosum. The cut surface was grayish white and solid. It also showed areas of myxoid degeneration and necrosis probably related to radiation therapy. Microscopically the tumor was a cellular and pleomorphic glioma that showed some astrocytic differentiation. It was diffuse without geographic necrosis.

In order to understand metabolic functions essential for methane assimilation, we investigate dribulose monophosphate pathway and adjacent pathways in gammaproteobacterial Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z by using combined approaches of RNA-seq, LC-MS, and 13C-labeled techniques. The absolute quantification of metabolome showed that the concentrations of intermediates, such as glucose-6-phosphate and 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-phosphogluconate, involved in Entner-Doudoroff (EDD) pathway were (150.95 +/- 28.75) micromol/L and below the limit of detection of mass spectrometry. In contrast, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate/dihydroxyacetone and phosphoenolpyruvate in Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway had significantly higher concentrations with (1 142.02 +/- 302.88) micromol/L, (1 866.76 +/- 388.55) micromol/L and (3 067.57 +/- 898.13) micromol/L, respectively. 13C-labeling experiment further indicated that the enrichment of [3-13C1]-pyruvate involved in EMP pathway was 4-6 fold higher than [1,13C1]-pyruvate in EDD pathway in a dynamic course. Moreover, gene expression profile showed that the expression levels of genes in EMP pathway (e.g. fbaA, tpiA, gap and pykA) were 2 479.2, 2 493.9, 2 274.6 and 1 846.0, respectively, but gene expressionlevels in EDD pathway (e.g. pgi, eda and edd) were only 263.8, 341.2 and 225.4, respectively. Overall our current results demonstrated that EMP pathway was the main route for methane assimilation in M. alcaliphilum 20Z. This discovery challenged our understanding of methane assimilation pathway in gammaproteobacterial methanotrophic bacteria, and further provided an important insight for efficient methane biocatalysis in the future.
Glycolysis ; Industrial Microbiology ; Methane ; metabolism ; Methylococcaceae ; metabolism ; Pyruvic Acid ; metabolism

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical outcome after pancreatcetmy and its relationship with pathological appearances and clinical features in patients with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy(PHHI). METHODS: Medical records of 10 patients(9 males and 1 female, mean age:40.4+/-1.5 months) who were diagnosed as PHHI and underwent pancreatectomy from 1988 to 2000 were reviewed. Clincal and biochemical data were recorded. Subjects were classified arbitrarily into early-onset or late-onset group according to age of onset. Pathologic appearance of pancreas was divided into 2 forms:diffuse or focal. The former had a focal pancreatic adenomatous hyperplasia and the latter was characterized by increased number of betacells with similar distribution seen in normal neonates. RESULTS: One patient had focal, and nine had diffuse lesions. After near-total pancreatectomy, 4 patients(40.0%) showed complete response, 4(40.0%) had persistent hypoglycemia, and 2(20.0%) developed diabetes mellitus. As neurological sequelae, 6 patients(60.0%) had persistent seizures, and 6(60.0%) had delayed motor and speech development. No clinical or biochemical factors related to postoperative outcome were found. CONCLUSION: This data indicate that early diagnosis of patients who present with hypoglycemic symptoms in infancy, especially early in life, and development of more effective therapy are warranted, because there is no clinical or biochemical factor predicting final outcome after near-total pancreatectomy and only 40% of patients with PHHI remained euglycemic after surgery with possible severe neurological sequelae.
Age of Onset ; Congenital Hyperinsulinism* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Hypoglycemia ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pancreas ; Pancreatectomy* ; Seizures

Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Mesentery/surgery* ; Ossification, Heterotopic/surgery*

A case of histiocytosis X with the involvement of pituitary stalk in a 5 year old boy was described. He presented with diabetes insipidus and the endocrinological study showed growth hormone deficiency. On computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, the pituitary stalk was abnormally thick. Overlooking of the skull lesion on plain X-ray film led to an erroneous diagnosis of germ cell tumor'. Gross total removal of the lesion and chemotherapy were performed. In the differential diagnosis of suprasellar masses, this disease entity should be included. The importance of histological diagnosis of the infundibular lesion in cases of central diabetes insipidus is also emphasized.
Child, Preschool ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Germ Cells ; Growth Hormone ; Histiocytosis* ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland* ; Skull ; X-Ray Film

A case of Nelson's syndrome in 23 year-old female, developing 6 years after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome, is reported. Presenting symptoms were headache and hyperpigmentation of the skin and mucous membrane. Serum ACTH level was markedly elebated above 1000 pg/ml, but serum cortisol level diminished markedly. Transsphenoidal approach (TSA) with removal of gushing out hematoma and tumor underwent. Postoperatively, headache subsided and hyperpigmentation of the skin markedly improved.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Cushing Syndrome ; Female ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperpigmentation ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Young Adult

背景:保留十二指肠的胰头切除术是替代胰十二指肠切除术治疗良性肿瘤、囊性肿瘤及神经内分泌瘤的可行之选。方法:检索Pubmed、Embase及Cochrane数据库中保留十二指肠胰头切除术的研究结果。根据手术指征、围手术期并发症及微创应用等纳入1994年1月至2021年3月的38项队列研究共702例患者的临床资料。结果:共702例患者分别因良性肿瘤、癌前病变、囊性肿瘤、胰腺神经内分泌肿瘤、十二指肠乳头周围腺瘤等行保留十二指肠的胰头切除术。702例患者中，214例（30.5%）行保留十二指肠的部分胰头切除术，488例（69.5%）行保留十二指肠的全胰头切除术，后者中微创手术占17.3%。两种术式的术后早期严重并发症发生率（术后B及C级胰瘘、胆瘘、腹腔出血及腹腔脓肿）均<10%，围手术期病死率分别为0和1.02%。经中位时间为（50.7±21.1）个月的随访，局部复发率为2.8%（15/404）。结论:保留十二指肠的胰头切除术应作为胰头部分支胰管型导管内乳头状肿瘤、实性假乳头状肿瘤、黏液性囊腺瘤、>2 cm的有或无功能的良性内分泌肿瘤外科治疗的首选术式。