No abstract

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare syndrome first described in 1955. (1) Since then, 400 cases worldwide have been reported in the literature. The disease is characterized by diffuse gastrointestinal polyposis, dystrophic changes of the fingernails, alopecia, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. (2) The etiology is currently unknown, but an autoimmune process is suspected. The workup is based on history and physical followed by imaging and endoscopy with biopsy to confirm gastrointestinal polyposis. The goal of treatment focuses on symptomatic management of the patient and nutritional support.

We sought to describe a large heart failure (HF) population with respect to systolic and diastolic abnormalities in terms of demographics, echocardiographic parameters, and survival. Using data abstracted from the Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart Failure (REACH) study, a targeted subpopulation of 3471 patients had electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and clinical data taken from automated sources during the first year of diagnosis. Among the HF population, 1811 (52.2%) had diastolic HF. Prevalence of diastolic HF trended with age, from 46.4% in those less than 45 years to 58.7% in those 85 years or older (p=0.001 for trend). Patients with diastolic HF had a higher mean ejection fraction (55.7% vs. 28.0%), lower left ventricular end‐systolic diameter (3.11 vs. 4.74 cm), and lower left atrium: aortic outlet ratio (1.28 vs. 1.38) (p=0.001 for each comparison). Annualized age, sex, and race‐adjusted mortality were 11.2% and 13.0% for those with diastolic and systolic HF, respectively (p=0.001). In a large, racially mixed, urban HF population, those with diastolic HF predominate and enjoy better‐adjusted survival than counterparts with systolic HF.

Patients suffering from primary constipation often show symptom improvement with increased intake of fiber. Bulk laxatives are a core component of treatment if dietary fiber is unsuccessful in alleviating symptoms. Although there are a number of commercial laxative preparations available, only polyethylene glycol (PEG), an osmotic laxative, should be used on a daily basis. For the elderly, saline laxatives may be used on a regular basis, provided there are no cardiac or renal comorbid contraindications. Tegaserod, a 5-HT(4) partial receptor agonist, is approved for the treatment of constipation in female patients. The appropriate role of biofeedback remains to be determined. Surgery should be reserved for patients with slow transit constipation refractory to medical therapy. Patients being considered for surgery should be evaluated at institutions with substantial expertise in the investigation and management of this population.