Cardiac conduction disturbances in mixed connective tissue disease.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial involvement occurs in about 20% of patients with mixed connective tissue disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of conduction disturbances, their association with other manifestations of the disease. OBJECTIVE: Determine the prevalence of cardiac conduction disturbances in patients with mixed connective tissue disease attended in an institute in Mexico City and their relation with other manifestations of the disease. METHODS: One hundred thirteen patients admitted to the Institute with a diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease were divided into those with conduction disturbances (n = 23) and those without (n = 90). Over a mean follow-up of 10.2 +/- 7.8 years, clinical course, treatment, duration of the disease, types of conduction disturbances and systemic alterations were examined. RESULTS: There was an overwhelming predominance of women in both groups. Conduction disturbances occurred in about 20% of the patients with mixed connective tissue disease and that was not possible to find significant differences in the outcome of them. As could be expected a significant difference between the two groups was QRS axis, related to anterior hemiblock, the most common conduction alteration observed. During the follow-up one patient death in-group A, but none in group B. CONCLUSION: Conduction disturbances were present in 20%; in agree with other authors in the literature. However, did not participate in the outcome of the disease.

Mesigyna once-a-month combined injectable contraceptive: experience in Latin America.

A phase III clinical study was carried out among 534 fertile Latin American women to evaluate cycle control, side effects, and contraceptive efficacy of a once-a-month combined injectable, Mesigyna, consisting of 50 mg norethisterone enanthate and 5 mg estradiol valerate. The pregnancy rate at 1 year was 0 per 100 woman-years for a total experience of 4688 woman-months. The overall discontinuation rate at one year was 17.9%. Discontinuation rate for bleeding problems was 5.1%. The Colombian women had a significant increase (p <0.001) in bleeding problems compared to other countries. The discontinuation rate for amenorrhea was 1.1%. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding discontinuation for other medical or non-medical reasons. Mean weight gain after one year of use was 1.02 kg. Mesigyna is an appropiate once-a-month injectable contraceptive for Latin American women since it is highly effective and its perception of normal menstrual bleeding is of importance in the Latin American population.

[Spontaneous pregnancy, independent of treatment, in sterile couples]. / Embarazo espontáneo independiente de tratamiento entre parejas estériles.

The spontaneous pregnancy independent of treatment in sterility is a frequently observed event in this group of couples. The spontaneous pregnancy appears up to 61% of women with antecedents of sterility and in selected populations of healthy women; a third of them experience, once in their lives a subfertility episode. The characterization of this event in a population with sterility, will help to define the capacity of different diagnostic methods, as well as therapeutic methods in terms of efficacy. The objective of this study was to identify women with diagnosis of sterility and spontaneous pregnancy; to describe the main characteristics: clinical, of laboratory, of gabinet, and to discuss some implications of biological variability useful in the interpretation of these tests. One hundred and eleven patients with sterility and spontaneous pregnancy, in a descriptive and retrospective design, were analyzed. Operational definitions for the main factors related with sterility, were used, as tuboperitoneal, endocrine-ovarian, cervico-vaginal and masculine. The pregnant patients related to any type of treatment, were excluded. Two study groups were established: Group I (n-46) and Group II (n = 65) with primary sterility and secondary sterility, respectively. Average age for both groups was similar (mean = 29 years old). The time of sterility was 46.52 and 43.52 months, for Group I and II, respectively. The time of pregnancy from the point zero (admission), was, in average 6.21 and 4.9 months for Group I and II. The following factors were identified as abnormal: endocrine-ovarian 28.60 by menstrual pattern, progesterone and endometrial biopsy: tuboperitoneal 12.67% by hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy; masculine 12.67 by direct spermatobioscopy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Carboplatino (JM8) en el tratamiento del cáncer metastásico: estudio preliminar sobre toxicidad, tolerabilidad y eficacia / Carboplatinum (JM8) in the treatment of metastatic cancer: preliminary study over toxicity, tolerability and efficacy

Los autores han tratado 31 pacientes afectados con cáncer metastásico (13 cánceres de mama; cuatro de testículo; 14 misceláneos) y parcialmente ya tratados (17 con quimioterapia; cuatro también con radioterapia y cuatro también con hormonoterapia), con un derivado del platino, el carboplatino, solo (400 mg/m* cada 21 días) o en asociación (300 mg/m*) con otros antineoplásicos. Fueron suministrados en total 104 ciclos y la evaluación fue hecha después de por lo menos dos ciclos. En los 31 pacientes tuvimos cinco remisiones completas y siete parciales. En los 13 pacientes con cáncer de mama obtuvimos 46 porciento de remisiones parciales. Recordemos que después de dos ciclos no se evaluaron respuestas a nivel óseo. La mielosupresión fue la toxicidad más alta y frecuente (leucopenia en 54.8 porciento; plaquetopenia 9.6 porciento; anemia 22.5 porciento). La náusea y el vómito fueron bien controlados con los antieméticos usuales. Dos casos de presuntas reacciones alérgicas se resolvieron con el uso oportuno de cortisona y antihistamímicos. Dado que el carboplatino no demostró ser nefrotóxico y no necesitó de terapia hidratante, puede ser usado en pacientes ambulatorios. El estudio se encuentra aún abierto.