No abstract available.
Animals ; Euonymus* ; Liver* ; Mice*

BACKGROUND: Asthmatic patients frequently suffer cold-weather-associated respiratory symptoms. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and diagnostic value of isocapnic hyperventilation of cold air(IHCA) using a multistep method was investigated in patients suspected to have asthma. METHOD: One hundred and 29 adult patients who had an IHCA performed between july 1999 and December 2000, had an methacholine bronchoprovocation test because of a clinical suspicion of asthma. RESULTS: According to strict criteria, 50 were defined as asthmatics and 79 as symptomatic nonashmatics. There were no differences in age, sex and smoking state between the asthmatic and symptomatic nonasthmatic groups. There was a significant decrease in the percentage reduction in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1) after the IHCA between the asthmatics(-10.0±6.8%) and the symptomatic nonasthmatics(-2.3±2.5%). The factors associated with a reactivity to IHCA were FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75/FVC and FEV1(% of predicted). The accuracy was highest using a 7% fall in FEV1; the sensitivity was 76% and the specificity 96%. CONCLUSION: IHCA is a specific, although not a sensitive, test for diagnosing asthma in adult patients. Furthermore, the diagnostic cut-off value of the different methods of IHCA need to be determined.
Adult* ; Asthma* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Hyperventilation* ; Methacholine Chloride ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking

Aortic dissection is the most common fatal condition that involves the aorta. Occasionally, symptoms mimic acute myocardial infarction leading to thrombolytic treatment which may have lethal consequences in aortic dissection. Thus, accurate diagnosis in patients with chest pain is therefore essential. We present a case of acute myocardial infarction which resulted from the acute aortic dissection with obstruction of the left and right coronary ostia by intimal flap. Transesophageal echocardiography was used as the diagnostic tool.
Aorta ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction