Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0034186 (pyelonephritis)
 6,144 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Patients with acute pyelonephritis may present with a spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms. There are few noninvasive diagnostic studies, however, to confirm or exclude this diagnosis. A small number of patients, generally those with severe disease, will demonstrate radiographic changes on excretory urography, but the lack of sensitivity of the IVP in early, acute pyelonephritis is well documented. Several radionuclide techniques have been proposed to assist in the earlier detection of this clinical problem including imaging with Mercury-197 chlormerodrin, Gallium-67 citrate, Technetium-99m glucoheptonate. Technetium-99m DMSA, and, more recently, Indium-111 labeled white blood cells. The success of the renal cortical imaging agents as well as those which localize in infection are described in this report. There appears to be a complimentary role or the cortical imaging agents and the radiopharmaceuticals which localize in bacterial infection. Cortical agents offer the advantage of specific assessment of functioning renal tissue and a convenient, rapid method for following the response to treatment in a noninvasive manner. A pattern is described which may be diagnostic; correlation with Gallium-67 citrate of Indium-111 WBCs may increase the probability of infection as the cause for the cortical abnormality. The measurement of differential renal function using cortical agents provides additional information to assist the clinician in predicting the late effects of infection. Improved sensitivity and specificity, and a reproducible method for following the response to therapy in patients with acute pyelonephritis are the advantages of the techniques described.
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PMID:Nuclear renal imaging in acute pyelonephritis. 628 55

Two children in the same household with symptomatic arterial hypertension simulating pheochromocytoma were found to be intoxicated with elemental mercury. The first child was a 4-year-old boy who presented with new-onset seizures, rash, and painful extremities, who was found to have a blood pressure of 171/123 mm Hg. An extensive investigation ensued. Elevated catecholamines were demonstrated in plasma and urine; studies did not confirm pheochromocytoma. Mercury levels were elevated. These findings prompted an evaluation of the family. A foster sister had similar findings of rash and hypertension. Both had been exposed to elemental mercury in the home. The family was temporarily relocated and chelation therapy was started. A Medline search for mercury intoxication with hypertension found 6 reports of patients ranging from 11 months to 17 years old. All patients showed symptoms of acrodynia. Because of the clinical presentation and the finding of elevated catecholamines, most of the patients were first studied for possible pheochromocytoma. Subsequently, elevated levels of mercury were found. Three children had contact with elemental mercury from a broken thermometer, 2 had played with metallic mercury and 1 had poorly protected occupational exposure. All responded to chelation therapy. Severe systemic arterial hypertension in infants and children is usually secondary to an underlying disease process. The most frequent causes of hypertension in this group include renal parenchymal disease, obstructive uropathy, and chronic pyelonephritis associated with reflux and renal artery stenosis. Less frequent causes include adrenal tumors, pheochromocytomas, neurofibromas, and a number of familial forms of hypertension. Other causes include therapeutic and recreational drugs, notably sympathomimetics and cocaine, and rarely, heavy metals. In children with severe hypertension and elevated catecholamines, the physician should consider mercury intoxication as well as pheochromocytoma. The health hazards of heavy metals need to be reinforced to the medical profession and the general public.
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PMID:Mercury intoxication and arterial hypertension: report of two patients and review of the literature. 1069 36