Laboratory procedures available for aid in the differential diagnosis of thyroid tumors include serum hormone measurements, a variety of thyroid scanning procedures, ultrasonography and needle biopsy of the thyroid. Serum calcitonin measurements appear to be highly reliable indicators of the pres­ ence of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Thyroid scans using isotopes of iodide or techne...

In conclusion, it is important to realize that there is no "stand alone" assay for the identification of NTM. Many new species may not be recognized in all assays. Newer molecular tests are more accurate for identification than phenotypic tests and have significantly improved turnaround time. Clinical significance of an isolate should be determined, however, before committing resources for the ...

A case of congenital toxoplasmosis has recently been seen in this hospital The patient, a girl aged 5 years, presented with hydrocephalus, bilateral pes cavus, and blindness. The eyes showed extensive retinochoroiditis thought to be characteristic of toxoplasmosis. Radiographs of the skull showed areas of cerebral calcification. Two years before the birth of the patient the mother had suffered ...

The value of four tests to detect occult alimentary blood loss has been compared in normal subjects, in patients with and without alimentary disease, and in patients with congestive heart failure, and the sensitivities of these tests have been compared using suspensions of blood alone and blood in faeces. The Occultest proved almost as sensitive as did the benzidine test in the detection of fae...

The group of diseases known as the leishmaniases are caused by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania (39). Natural transmission of leishmania is carried out by a certain species of sandfly of the genus Phlebotomus (Old World) or Lutzomyia (New World). These are present in three different forms: (i) visceral leishmaniasis (VL), (ii) cutaneous leishmaniasis, and (iii) mucocutane...

Bacterial gastroenteritis is a disease that is pervasive in both the developing and developed worlds. While for the most part bacterial gastroenteritis is self-limiting, identification of an etiological agent by bacterial stool culture is required for the management of patients with severe or prolonged diarrhea, symptoms consistent with invasive disease, or a history that may predict a complica...

Circulating anticoagulants or inhibitors of clotting factors are defined as endogenously produced substances that interfere with various in vitro tests of coagulation. Anticoagulants are usually immunoglobulins, although other endogenous materials, such as heparin or fibrinogen split products, may inhibit in vivo or in vitro coagulation (Table 1). Specific inhibitors are immunoglobulins with ep...

One-third of the global population is believed to be infected with bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, the causative agent of tuberculosis. More than 8 million new cases of tuberculosis occur annually leading to 2 million deaths. Mortality is particularly high in those coinfected with HIV and where the bacteria are multiple-drug-resistant strains--ie, strains resistant to at lea...