Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with its high economic and societal costs, is a growing public health concern whose prevalence has risen steadily over the last two decades. Although actual increased incidence versus improved diagnosis remains controversial, the increased prevalence of ASD suggests non-inherited factors as likely contributors. There is increasing epidemiologic evidence that abnormal maternal thyroid function during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of child ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is known to disrupt thyroid function and can affect early brain development; thus, thyroid dysfunction is hypothesized to mediate this relationship. The concept of a potential pathway from prenatal PFAS exposure through thyroid dysfunction to ASD etiology is not new; however, the extant literature on this topic is scant. The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarize reports with regard to potential mechanisms in this pathway.

OBJECTIVES: Entrapment of the suprascapular nerve is frequently overlooked in the differential diagnosis of shoulder pain. METHODS: Suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is a well-defined clinical entity and EMG and NCV is used to confirm a diagnosis. But the diagnosis is typically not considered until patients develop severe weakness secondary to atrophy of the spinous musculature that the nerve supplies. RESULTS: A narrow suprascapular notch has rarely been reported as a work-related factor of this entrapment neuropathy. Diagnosis of suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is based on the patients' clinical course, neurologic, radiologic, and electrophysiologic findings. One of the most helpful evaluations was the anteriorposterior projection with the X-ray tube angled 15-30 degree caudally. The suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is relatively uncommon entity of shoulder discomfort (pain, weakness, and atrophy). CONCLUSIONS: If the worker who used his shoulder joint repetitiously having the shoulder pain and muscle weakness, we must rule out the suprascapular entrapment neuropathy. And it is needed to evaluate the motions which cause suprascapular entrapment neuropathy as the ergonomic factor.
Atrophy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Equipment and Supplies ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain

We report here two cases of foreign body granulomas that arose from the pelvic wall and liver, respectively, and simulated recurrent colorectal carcinomas in patients with a history of surgery. On contrast-enhanced CT and MR images, a pelvic wall mass appeared as a well-enhancing mass that had invaded the distal ureter, resulting in the development of hydronephrosis. In addition, a liver mass had a hypointense rim that corresponded to the fibrous wall on a T2-weighted MR image, and showed persistent peripheral enhancement that corresponded to the granulation tissues and fibrous wall on dynamic MR images. These lesions also displayed very intense homogeneous FDG uptake on PET/CT.
Adult ; Aged ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/diagnostic use ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis/etiology ; Image Enhancement/methods ; Liver/pathology/radionuclide imaging ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/secondary ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pelvic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/secondary ; Pelvis/pathology/radiography ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals/diagnostic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Pancytopenia* ; Ticlopidine*

PURPOSE: Cystatin C is known to predict the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) more precisely in patients with substantial muscle atrophy, such as liver cirrhosis, compared to creatinine. We evaluated the usefulness of cystatin C for prediction of renal function in liver cirrhosis patients. METHODS: From February 2007 to September 2007, we evaluated the renal function in patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital. We compared renal function with GFR as estimated by creatinine (Modification of diet in renal diseases; MDRD, the Cockroft&Gault equation; C&G, Creatinine clearance; CCr) and cystatin C (the Hoek and Larsson equations) with that of the GFR as calculated by Cr-EDTA. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients were enrolled. The mean GFR was 67.8+/-29.4, 81.6+/-29.6, 79.9+/-29.3, 62.7+/-29.8, 77.0+/-28.6, 81.0+/-35.2 mL/min/1.73m2 according to Cr-EDTA, MDRD, C&G, CCr, Hoek and Larsson equations, respectively. Cystatin C showed a correlation to MDRD (r=-0.715), C&G (r=-0.659), CCr (r=-0.536) and Cr-EDTA GFR (r=-0.617). GFR by the Hoek (r=0.657) and the Larsson (r=0.647) equation using cystatin C showed a higher correlation with Cr-EDTA GFR than GFR by MDRD (r=0.550) and C&G equation (r=0.458). CONCLUSION: Cystatin C is a more accurate predictor of renal function than creatinine in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Creatinine ; Cystatin C ; Diet ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Muscular Atrophy