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Objective. To assess body composition in adult male and female patients with thalassemia major by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to compare the findings with a group of healthy age-matched controls. Methods. Our study group included sixty-two patients (27 males, mean age 36 years, and 35 females, mean age 36.4 years) and fifteen age-matched healthy controls. All patients had an established diagnosis of thalassemia major and followed a regular blood transfusion scheme since childhood and chelation treatment. Fat, lean, and bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ferritin levels and body mass index of all patients and controls were also recorded. Student t-test and Wilcoxon test were performed and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. BMD and whole body lean mass are lower in both male and female adult patients compared with controls (p < 0.01 in both groups), whereas whole body fat mass was found to have no statistically significant difference compared to controls. Regional trunk fat around the abdomen was found to be lower in male patients compared to controls (p = 0.02). Conclusion. Severe bone loss and diminished lean mass are expected in adult male and female patients with thalassemia major. Fat changes seem to affect mainly male patients.

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IntroductionAbdominal trauma is a source of significant mortality and morbidity. Bowel injury as a result of blunt abdominal trauma is usually evident within hours or days of the accident.Case presentationA 38-year-old Caucasian Greek man presented with a subtle and delayed small bowel obstruction caused by a post-traumatic ileosigmoid fistula and ileal stricture four months after a road traffic accident.ConclusionDelayed occurrence of post-traumatic small bowel stricture and ileosigmoid fistula is an uncommon surgical emergency. General surgeons as well as emergency physicians should bear this manifestation in mind should a patient return to the hospital several weeks or even years after blunt abdominal trauma with symptoms or signs of bowel obstruction.

Background and purposeGlial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intracellular protein of the astrocytic cytoskeleton. Recently, autoantibodies to GFAP detected by cell‐based assay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or serum have been implicated in cerebral astrocytopathy, presenting predominantly with autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis. However, the phenotypic spectrum, prognosis and therapeutics of this new entity remain to be elucidated.MethodsHerein, we report radiological, CSF and serological findings during disease exacerbation and remission, from a patient with autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy, presenting as an immunotherapy responsive GFAP IgG‐associated meningoencephalomyelitis.ResultsBrain and spine magnetic resonance imaging revealed meningeal enhancement, T2 hyperintensities, black holes, significant sulci widening and spinal atrophy. In addition, high levels of neurofilaments (NfL) and GFAP were also identified during disease exacerbation, consistent with the appearance of the black holes.ConclusionsTo date, black holes and atrophy have never been reported before in autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy. These findings, combined with the high levels of GFAP and NfL, suggest the existence of an underlying neurodegenerative mechanism in addition to the known inflammatory response. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathomechanism of GFAP‐astrocytopathies.