Diagnosis and Laparoscopic Approach to Gallbladder Torsion and Cholelithiasis

Torsion of the gallbladder is common in elderly women. Different causes have been proposed for this rare condition. The presence of a long mesentery and loss of visceral fat are the main causes for the development of torsion. Patients present with a sudden, acute pain in the right upper quadrant, suggesting cholecystitis. Different imaging methods have shown particular findings, but the diagnosis is still complex. Today, just a few cases have been reported in the literature. The treatment for this condition consists of surgical detorsion and cholecystectomy. Gall-bladder torsion is a very rare entity and should be suspected when these clinical findings are present.     

Fibroblast Growth Factors in Schizophrenia

A large association study by O''Donovan et al recently suggested that genetic variation in fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2 increases the risk for developing schizophrenia. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are part of the family of glial growth factors; they control the growth and patterning of specific brain structures and regulate the maintenance and repair of neuronal tissues. In addition, a direct interaction was recently found between FGFRs and adenosine A_2A receptors, leading to corticostriatal plasticity and antagonizing the signaling pathway of dopamine D₂ receptors. These findings make FGFs plausible candidate genes for schizophrenia. Here, we review the role of FGFs in schizophrenia and combine evidence from studies on variations in FGF genes, RNA expression, protein levels, and FGF administration, as well as the effects of medication and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia. These data suggest that changes in the FGF system contribute to schizophrenia and possibly to a wider range of psychiatric disorders. The role of FGFs in schizophrenia and related disorders needs to be studied in more detail.     

High Complexity of Plasmodium vivax Infections in Symptomatic Patients from a Rural Community in Central Vietnam Detected by Microsatellite Genotyping

Fourteen published and three newly identified polymorphic microsatellites were used to genotype 69 Plasmodium vivax samples obtained from 39 patients detected over a period of two years who lived in a rural community of central Vietnam. All samples were polyclonal with an average expected heterozygosity of 0.86. Among the 39 patients, 16 experienced 1–5 recurrent episodes of P. vivax malaria, most of them (83%) with a different genotype profile compared with previous infections. The minimal set of microsatellites required for differentiating the genotype profiles of the recurrent infections compared with the full set of 17 microsatellites was explored. A combination of five markers was sufficient to identify all recurrent infections with an unrelated or different genotype profile compared with all previous episodes.