August 2017
24 ArticlesNo Section
Repetitive 18F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with large-vessel giant-cell arteritis and controlled disease
18F-FDG PET/CT can detect large-vessel involvement in giant-cell arteritis (GCA) with a good sensitivity. In patients with clinically and biologically controlled disease, we aimed to assess how... more
Pulse wave velocity differs between ulcerative colitis and chronic kidney disease
We hypothesized that a reversal of the physiological stiffness gradient, previously reported in end-stage renal disease, begins in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that chronic... more
Cancer immunotherapy-induced endocrinopathies: Clinical behavior and therapeutic approach
Cancer immunotherapy has proven to be effective in a wide variety of tumors. The use of immune checkpoint blocking monoclonal antibodies has become a standard treatment regimen in some of them as... more
Medication use in long-term survivors from the MONICA/KORA Myocardial Infarction Registry
Prior studies reported high guideline adherence for secondary prevention medications (SPM) at hospital discharge in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Less is known about medication use... more
The association between bouted and non-bouted physical activity on retinopathy prevalence
We evaluated the specific differential association between non-bouted, lifestyle physical activities (vs. structured exercise; i.e., bouted physical activity) on retinopathy prevalence among a... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
An unusual case of distal necrosis. Looking for the truth
A 47year-old man presented with a history of pain and necrosis on the distal phalange of the third finger on the right hand. He also presented subungual splinter haemorrhages and eritroviolaceous... more
Internal Medicine Flashcards
Acute respiratory failure with an unexpected etiology in an elderly patient
An 80-year-old woman with no history of smoking developed a productive cough 8days prior to admission. Neither levofloxacin nor sulbactam/ampicillin, prescribed at the previous hospital, were... more
Letter to the Editor
Effect of pregnancy in women with a history of primary immune thrombocytopenia considered as cured
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common autoimmune cytopenia. This disease often occurs in young women [1]. Pregnancy is a well-known risk factor for developing newly diagnosed ITP as well... more
Peer (and brothers) review? Ethical challenges in author-proposed peer-reviewers
The EJIM has recently published a few articles/letters on peer review [1–4], which lead us to ask further methodological and ethical questions: mainly, is it legitimate for an author submitting an... more
History and outcome of febrile neutropenia related to non-chemotherapy drugs: A retrospective study of the Strasbourg's agranulocytosis cohorte
Despite major advances in prevention and treatment, febrile neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <0.5×10(9)/L) remains one of the most concerning complications of cancer chemotherapy, especially... more
Body mass index and all-cause mortality among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Methodological issues
We read the study conducted by Salinero-Fort and colleagues that was published in European Journal of Internal Medicine, enthusiastically and meticulously. The authors tried to examine the effect of... more
Is penitentiary medicine a free medicine (French experience)? An open letter to the new general director of WHO
Is the prison an area of medical rights void? The WHO, on the occasion of the nomination of its new General Director, must take up this global, international issue.
Impact of drought on human health
Over the last few summers in Europe, increasingly hot and dry, we are experiencing a new great problem, the drought, associated with mugginess and insufficient winter and spring rainfall that do not... more
Caveats in the work-up of iron deficiency anaemia
Given the fact that “pathologies involving upper and lower GI (gastrointestinal) system should always be considered during the diagnostic process for IDA (iron deficiency anaemia)” [1],... more
The diagnostic trial of iron replacement therapy even in normocytic anaemia
Among the diagnostic strategies for validating the provisional diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) [1] one parameter worth including is the response to a diagnostic trial of iron replacement... more
Intermediate care units and their role in medical wards
Intermediate Medical Care Units (IMCU) warrant the treatment and monitoring of clinically unstable patients with organ dysfunction or at risk of organ failure and allow a decreased length of stay in... more
Sarcoidosis onset after breast cancer; a potential association
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease involving the lungs in over 90% of cases. The pathogenesis of sarcoidosis is believed to result from a cellular immune reaction from exposure to... more
Should we look for anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies in systemic sclerosis patients with anti-centromere or anti-topoisomerase I antibodies?
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by skin and internal organs fibrosis, vascular damage and positive antinuclear autoantibodies (ANAs). The classical antigenic... more
Narrative Review
Basal insulin for the management of diabetic ketoacidosis
Due to its pharmacokinetic properties, it has been suggested that long-acting insulin analogues may have a role in facilitating the transition from continuous intravenous insulin infusion to... more
Relationship between atrial fibrillation and cognitive decline in individuals aged 80 and older: A narrative review
Atrial fibrillation (AF) and dementia are largely prevalent and incident in progressively older subjects, suggesting a link between the two conditions. While in the general population there are... more
Original Article
Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting bronchodilator treatment mitigates STEMI clinical presentation in COPD patients
Patients with myocardial infarction and concomitant COPD are at increased risk of poor clinical outcomes, including death, as compared to patients without COPD.
Lung ultrasound in internal medicine: A bedside help to increase accuracy in the diagnosis of dyspnea
Dyspnea is one of the most frequent causes of admission in Internal Medicine wards, leading to a sizeable utilization of medical resources.
Association between red cell distribution width and thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation
We investigated whether an increase in the value of red cell distribution width (RDW) was associated with thromboembolic outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
Review Article
Current status of therapeutic and vaccine approaches against Zika virus
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a global threat because it is spreading at an alarming rate because of its wider range of transmission routes. The neuroteratogenic nature of ZIKV infection is posing serious... more