This case series highlights our experience with use of the Fungitell assay for quantifying (1,3)-β-d-glucan in cerebrospinal fluid during the current U.S. outbreak of fungal meningitis related to contaminated methylprednisolone acetate. This test may prove a useful adjunct in diagnosis and management of exposed patients.

  Background and Objective: Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) has been historically the most prevalent opportunisticinfection in patients infected with the human immunodeficiencyvirus. Culture of the organism has not been faced with suitable success in artificial media, while various results have been reported for cell culture media. The aim of this study was proliferation of Pneumocystis carin...

The effect of incadronate, a third-generation bisphosphonate, was evaluated in rats with corticosteroid-induced osteopenia. Male Wistar rats were treated with methylprednisolone acetate (1 mg/kg, s.c.) once daily, 3 days a week for 12 weeks. Other groups received simultaneous treatment with methylprednisolone acetate and incadronate (0.03, 0.3 or 3 mg/kg, p.o.); incadronate was given once daily...

BACKGROUND Central nervous system injuries after transforaminal epidural steroid injections have been ascribed to occlusion of the blood vessels supplying the spinal cord and brain by the particulate steroid. METHODS The authors compared the sizes of the particles of the steroids methylprednisolone acetate, triamcinolone acetonide, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, betamethasone sodium phosphat...

OBJECTIVE To examine the potential role of 6-sulfo LacNAc(+) (slan) dendritic cells (DCs) displaying pronounced proinflammatory properties in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS We determined the presence of slanDCs in demyelinated brain lesions and CSF samples of patients with MS. In addition, we explored the impact of methylprednisolone, interferon-β, glatiramer acetate, or...

The treatment of bone cysts by topical injection of methylprednisolone acetate was initiated at the end of 1973, and the late results are reported in this paper. In seventy-two cases followed up for one to three years favourable results have been obtained in about 90 per cent. The technique of local injection and the surgical equipment employed, in the case of focal recurrences, are considered....

Intra-articular injections of erbium--169 citrate and methylprednisolone acetate in hand joints were compared in a randomly selected double-blind trial. The patients included 21 with rheumatoid arthritis and 3 with psoriatic arthritis, and the design was an intrapatient comparison. No difference between joints treated with the radioisotope or steroid was observed in the year following injection.