Blastomycosis is a systemic pyogranulomatous disease that is caused by a thermally dimorphic fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. it's the disease is endemic in the south-eastern and south central states of the USA, which border the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the mid-western states and Canadian provinces bordering the Great Lakes as well as in a small area of New York and Canada adjacent to the St. Lawrence River.1 We encountered a case of blastomycosis, representing as a pulmonary manifestation after traveling around a non-endemic area and report it with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Blastomyces ; Blastomycosis* ; Canada ; Fungi ; Lakes ; Mississippi ; Ohio ; Rivers

Humans ; Mississippi/epidemiology* ; Influenza, Human/epidemiology* ; Meteorological Concepts ; Virus Diseases

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate effects of sertraline treatment on symptoms and memory function of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Thirty Vietnam veterans were collected for this study, among whom fifteen were PTSD patients and fifteen were combat control subjects. We used Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, Combat Exposure Scale (CES), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Digit Span, Paired Association Learning Test (PALT) and Rey- Osterreith Complex Figure Test (CFT) were assessed for memory function. We evaluated HDRS, CAPS and memory function tests at baseline, 2-week and 6-week intervals with each subjects. RESULTS: There were significant differences between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans in Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, CES, HDRS and CAPS. Significant difference was found in memory function tests between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans. PTSD veterans showed significant improvement in HDRS and CAPS at 2-week and 6-week and in memory function tests at 6-week of sertraline treatment. There was no significant correlation between symptoms and memory function. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that sertraline improve symptoms and memory function of PTSD. There was no significant correlation between PTSD sysmtoms and memory function.
Association Learning ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory* ; Mississippi ; Sertraline* ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Veterans ; Vietnam

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors in veterans for posttraumatic stress disorder and to find the correlation between the disorder and the characteristics of the variables. METHODS: We compared the risk factors in veterans between 40 diagnosed PTSD patients and 78 controls, using psychiatric by psychiatrists and measurement instruments such as CES, Mississippi scale, and BDI RESULTS: 1) There was statistically significant difference in prevalence on pre-military factor with regard to age at recruit(p<0.05) 2) PTSD on military factor was closely correlated with CES score(p<0.05) 3) There was statistically significant difference in PTSD on post-military factor with regard to occupation(p<0.05) 4) Scores of Mississippi scale, and BDI in PTSD were higher than those in control subjects(p<0.05, p<0.05) CONCLUSION: This results suggest that the likehood of developing PTSD in veterans depends on pre-military and post-military factors in addition to features of the trauma itself. Age of entry into the military, CES score, and occupation had statistically significant relationships with PTSD.
Humans ; Military Personnel ; Mississippi ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Psychiatry ; Risk Factors* ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Veterans*

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate efficacy on symptoms and memory function of mirtazapine treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. METHODS: Thirty Vietnam veterans were collected for this study, among whom fifteen were PTSD patients and fifteen were combat control subjects. We used Mississippi Scale for CombatRelated PTSD, Combat Exposure Scale (CES), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Digit Span, Paired Association Learning Test (PALT) and Rey-Osterrith Complex Figure Test (CFT) were assessed for memory function. We also evaluate HDRS, CAPS and memory function tests intervals of baseline, 2 week and 6 week in PTSD patients during mirtazapine treatment. RESULTS: There were significant differences between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans in Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, CES, HDRS and CAPS. Significant difference was found in memory function tests between PTSD and Non-PTSD veterans. PTSD veterans showed significant improvement in HDRS and CAPS at 2 week and 6 week during mirtazapine treatment and in memory function tests at 6 week during mirtazapine treatment. There was no significant correlation between symptoms and memory function. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that mirtazapine improve symptoms and memory function of PTSD. There was no significant correlation between PTSD sysmtoms and memory function.
Association Learning ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory* ; Mississippi ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Veterans ; Vietnam