OBJECTIVE: The missense mutation (64Trp to 64Arg) in the b 3 -adrenergic-receptor has previously been described to confer a genetic predisposition to the development of obesity. DESIGN: To test the hypothesis we evaluated allele frequencies in children, adolescents and young adults who belonged to different weight groups that were delineated with percentiles for the body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ). SUBJECTS: 99 underweight probands (BMI 15th percentile). 80 normal weight probands (BMI: 5th±85th percentile). 238 obese children and adolescents (BMI ! 97th percentile). 84 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). MEASUREMENTS: The cohorts were screened by polymerase chain reaction with subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Data were statistically analysed for association. In addition to these case control studies, the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was applied to 80 families of obese probands and to 52 families of patients with AN. RESULTS: Both the tests for association and linkage were negative. The Trp64Arg allele frequencies in the three weight groups (obesity: 0.071; normal weight: 0.081; underweight: 0.056) and the AN patients (0.054) were similar. Extremely obese individuals showed no excess of the Trp64Arg allele. No homozygotes for the Trp64Arg allele were detected. CONCLUSION: Heterozygosity for the Trp64Arg allele is not of major importance in regulation of body weight in individuals younger than 35 y. Additionally, the extreme obese subgroup is not enriched for the polymorphism.

Object. Decompression of the spinal canal in the management of thoracolumbar trauma is controversial, but many authors have advocated decompression in patients with severe canal compromise and neurological deficits. Anterior decompression, corpectomy, and fusion have been shown to be more reliable for spinal canal reconstruction than posterior procedures; however, traditional anterior-access procedures, thoracotomy, and thoracoabdominal approaches are associated with significant complications. Endoscopy-guided spinal access avoids causing these morbidities, but it has not been shown to yield equivalent results in spinal canal clearance. This study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of endoscopic spinal canal decompression and reconstruction quantitatively by using pre- and postoperative computerized tomography (CT) scanning. Methods. Thirty patients with thoracolumbar canal compromise underwent endoscopic anterior spinal canal decompression, interbody reconstruction, and stabilization for fractures (27 cases), and tumor, infection, and severe degenerative disc disease (one case each). The mean follow-up period was 42 months (range 24 months–6 years). Neurological examinations, Frankel grades, radiological studies, and intraoperative findings were prospectively collected. Spinal canal clearance quantified on pre- and postoperative CT scans improved from 55 to 110%. A total of 25% of patients with complete paraplegia and 65% of those with incomplete neurological deficit improved neurologically. The complication rate was 16.7% and included one reintubation, two pleural effusions, one intercostal neuralgia, and one persistent lesion of the sympathetic chain. Conclusions. The authors describe the endoscopic technique of anterior spinal canal decompression in the thoracolumbar spine. The morbidities associated with an open procedure were avoided, and excellent spinal canal clearance was accomplished as was associated neurological improvement.

The cases clearly demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of thoracoscopic spinal surgery in the management of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. Debridement, decompression of the spinal canal, interbody fusion, and anterior spinal fixation can be performed via endoscopic approach.

We report on a 17-year-old girl who developed steatohepatitis and marked weight gain during risperidone treatment for paranoid psychosis. Viral, metabolic, and other causes of liver disease were excluded. Although the exact mechanism of antipsychotic associated weight gain is unclear, the impact of risperidone on the serotonergic system and on neuropeptide Y, a stimulator of food intake, might be implicated in the development of obesity. Additionally, weight gain-related hyperleptinemia could be a link between overweight and hepatotoxicity via cytokines. Physicians should routinely monitor body weight, liver function, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profiles in children and adolescents at the beginning of risperidone therapy. Additionally, patients complaining about weight gain should be monitored more carefully during the maintenance phase.

Hyperkinetic disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) are among the psychiatric diagnoses most often encountered in children and adolescents. Symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Within the multi-modal treatment system, the therapy with psychostimulants (e. g. methylphenidate) proved to be an effective in patients with ADHD. A double-blind trial is indicated in cases of unclear efficacy of methylphenidate at initial application or if psychostimulants have regularly been applied for more than one year with an leave-out trial delivering unequivocal results. Further it is helpful in verifying potential undesirable side effects and improving patients' compliance.