Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0022568 (keratitis)
 5,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In order to determine the clinical and laboratory findings of Iranian patients with presumed hyper-immunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES), the medical records of 22 patients from 21 unrelated families, who had been registered in the Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Registry, were observed. The median age of patients at the time of first symptom and at the time of diagnosis was 1 month and 52.5 months, respectively, with a median diagnosis delay of 70 months. 13 families had consanguineous marriages. IgE level was higher than 2000 IU/ml in all patients, ranging from >2000 to 80,000 IU/ml. The most commonly occurring manifestations were: eczema and dermatitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infections, cutaneous abscesses, diarrhoea, deep abscesses, and otitis media. Other less frequent manifestations were: mucocutaneous candidiasis, sinusitis, cutaneous ulcers, Molluscum contagiosum, herpetic keratitis, onychomycosis, conjunctivitis, septic arthritis, and meningitis. Five patients were complicated by bronchiectasis due to recurrent pneumonia and 5 patients died because of severe infections and malignancy. The HIES is a multisystem disorder that affects especially cutaneous, respiratory, skeletal and the immune system. Although HIES is a rare condition, the recurrent infections should always raise a suspicion, which deserves further evaluation for detecting the syndrome.
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PMID:The clinical and laboratory survey of Iranian patients with hyper-IgE syndrome. 1700 35

Sulfur mustard is an alkylating agent that reacts with ocular, respiratory, cutaneous, and bone marrow tissues, resulting in early and late toxic effects. We compare these effects based on the experience in Iranian veterans exposed to the agent during the Iran-Iraq conflict (1983-88). The first clinical manifestations of sulfur mustard poisoning occurred in the eyes with a sensation of grittiness, lacrimation, photophobia, blepharospasm, and corneal ulceration. Respiratory effects appeared as rhinorhea, laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, and dyspnoea. Skin lesions varied from erythema to bullous necrotization. Initial leukocytosis and lymphopenia returned to normal within four weeks in recovered patients, but marked cytopenia with bone marrow failure occurred in fatal cases. Late toxic effects of sulfur mustard were most commonly found in lungs, skin and eyes. Main respiratory complications were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, asthma, large airway narrowing, and pulmonary fibrosis. Late skin lesions were hyperpigmentation, dry skin, atrophy, and hypopigmentation. Fifteen of the severely intoxicated patients were diagnosed with delayed keratitis, having corneal vascularization, thinning, and epithelial defect. Respiratory complications exacerbated over time, while cutaneous and ocular lesions decreased or remained constant. Both the severity and frequency of bronchiectatic lesions increased during long-term follow-up. The only deteriorating cutaneous complication was dry skin. The maximum incidence of delayed kaeratitis was observed 15 to 20 years after initial exposure. Being suggested as the main cause ofassociated with malignancies and recurrent infections, natural killer cells were significantly lower 16 to 20 years after intoxication.
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PMID:Comparison of early and late toxic effects of sulfur mustard in Iranian veterans. 1704 Feb 11

The widespread use of sulphur mustard (SM) as an incapacitating chemical warfare agent in the past century has proved its long-lasting toxic effects. It may also be used as a chemical terrorist agent. Therefore, all health professionals should have sufficient knowledge and be prepared for any such chemical attack. SM exerts direct toxic effects on the eyes, skin, and respiratory tissue, with subsequent systemic action on the nervous, immunological, haematological, digestive, and reproductive systems. SM is an alkylating agent that affects DNA synthesis, and, thus, delayed complications have been seen since the First World War. Cases of malignancies in the target organs, particularly in haematopoietic, respiratory, and digestive systems, have been reported. Important delayed respiratory complications include chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, frequent bronchopneumonia, and pulmonary fibrosis, all of which tend to deteriorate with time. Severe dry skin, delayed keratitis, and reduction of natural killer cells with subsequent increased risk of infections and malignancies are also among the most distressing long-term consequences of SM intoxication. However, despite a lot of research over the past decades on Iranian veterans, there are still major gaps in the SM literature. Immunological and neurological dysfunction, as well as the relationship between SM exposure and mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity are important fields that require further studies, particularly on Iranian veterans with chronic health effects of SM poisoning. There is also a paucity of information on the medical management of acute and delayed toxic effects of SM poisoning-a subject that greatly challenges health care specialists.
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PMID:Chronic health effects of sulphur mustard exposure with special reference to Iranian veterans. 2246 Feb 16

Sulfur mustard (2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulfide; SM) is a potent vesicating chemical warfare agent that poses a continuing threat to both military and civilian populations. Significant SM injuries can take several months to heal, necessitate lengthy hospitalizations, and result in long-term complications affecting the skin, eyes, and lungs. This report summarizes initial and ongoing (chronic) clinical findings from SM casualties from the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), with an emphasis on cutaneous injury. In addition, we describe the cutaneous manifestations and treatment of several men recently and accidentally exposed to SM in the United States. Common, chronic cutaneous problems being reported in the Iranian casualties include pruritis (the primary complaint), burning, pain, redness, desquamation, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, erythematous papular rash, xerosis, multiple cherry angiomas, atrophy, dermal scarring, hypertrophy, and sensitivity to mechanical injury with recurrent blistering and ulceration. Chronic ocular problems include keratitis, photophobia, persistent tearing, sensation of foreign body, corneal thinning and ulceration, vasculitis of the cornea and conjunctiva, and limbal stem cell deficiency. Chronic pulmonary problems include decreases in lung function, bronchitis with hyper-reactive airways, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, stenosis of the trachea and other large airways, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, decreased total lung capacity, and increased incidences of lung cancer, pulmonary infections, and tuberculosis. There are currently no standardized or optimized methods of casualty management; current treatment strategy consists of symptomatic management and is designed to relieve symptoms, prevent infections, and promote healing. New strategies are needed to provide for optimal and rapid healing, with the goals of (a) returning damaged tissue to optimal appearance and normal function in the shortest period of time, and (b) ameliorating chronic effects. Further experimental research and clinical trials will be needed to prevent or mitigate the acute clinical effects of SM exposure and to reduce or eliminate the long-term manifestations.
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PMID:Historical perspective on effects and treatment of sulfur mustard injuries. 2381 2

Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria (RGM) are opportunistic pathogens found in the environment. Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. chelonae and M.abscessus are the important human pathogens of this group. They cause wound infections, disseminated cutaneous disease, pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis, bone and joint infections and keratitis. Infections due to these Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are increasingly reported. Post laparoscopic wound infections, mesh site infections and other surgical site infections due to M. fortuitum and M. chelonae have been reported. Usually wound infections due to atypical mycobacteria have delayed onset and do not respond to conventional antibiotics. Identification of RGM can be done by a set of cumbersome biochemical tests, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), molecular methods using DNA probes or by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). We here report a case of post-herniorrhaphy wound infection due to M. fortuitum which was identified by molecular method (HAIN mycobacterial species system). This case report underscores the importance of examining Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain of all exudates with sterile culture on day one for non fastidious bacteria. Timely identification can lead to prompt therapy of patients preventing further complications.
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PMID:A Case of Surgical Site Infection Caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum, following Herniorrhaphy. 2805 Mar 69