Malignant otitis externa in a 21-year-old male patient with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Malignant otitis externa is an invasive infection of the external auditory canal and temporal bone with potentially life-threatening complications. Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are the population most commonly affected by malignant otitis externa, but any type of immunosuppression predisposes to the disease. Prader-Willi syndrome is a genetic cause of obesity, often associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This report describes a case of a 21-year-old male patient with Prader-Willi syndrome who had malignant otitis externa that progressed to sepsis during hospitalization. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of malignant otitis externa in a young patient with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prevalence of benign diseases mimicking lung cancer: experience from a university hospital of southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most lethal type of cancer in the world. Several benign lung diseases may mimic lung carcinoma in its clinical and radiological presentation, which makes the differential diagnosis for granulomatous diseases more relevant in endemic regions like Brazil. This study was designed to describe the prevalence and the diagnostic work-up of benign diseases that mimic primary lung cancer in patients hospitalized at a university hospital from south of Brazil. METHODS: This was a transversal study, which evaluated the medical records of 1,056 patients hospitalized for lung cancer treatment from September 2003 to September 2013 at University Hospital of Santa Maria. RESULTS: Eight hundred and four patients underwent invasive procedures for suspected primary lung carcinoma. Primary lung cancer was confirmed in 77.4% of the patients. Benign disease was confirmed in 8% of all patients. Tuberculosis (n=14) and paracoccidioidomycosis (n=9) were the most frequent infectious diseases. The diagnosis of benign diseases was obtained by flexible bronchoscopy in 55.6% of the cases and by thoracotomy in 33.4%. CONCLUSION: Infectious diseases are the most frequent benign diseases mimicking lung cancer at their initial presentation. Many of these cases could be diagnosed by minimally invasive procedures such as flexible bronchoscopy. Benign diseases should be included in the differential diagnosis during the investigation for primary lung cancer in order to avoid higher cost procedures and mortality.

Diagnóstico e tratamento da DPOC exacerbada na emergência / Diagnosis and treatment of exacerbated COPD in emergency care

A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) é uma doença respiratória prevenível e tratável que se caracteriza pela obstrução crônica e não totalmente reversível do fluxo aéreo. A exacerbação da DPOC é um evento agudo que ocorre no curso natural da doença caracterizado por uma mudança na dispneia basal do paciente, tosse e/ou expectoração e mudança na coloração do escarro que está além das variações normais do dia a dia e que possa justificar uma mudança na medicação habitual do paciente, com alta morbidade e mortalidade. Este trabalho tem como objetivo auxiliar profissionais de saúde no atendimento de pacientes com exacerbação da DPOC na emergência, garantindo o atendimento correto e completo desses pacientes

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable respiratory disease characterized by chronic and not fully reversible obstruction of the airflow. COPD exacerbation is an acute event that occurs in the natural course of the disease characterized by a change in the patient’s baseline dyspnea, cough and/or sputum and change in color of sputum that is beyond normal day-to-day variations and that can justify a change in the patient’s usual medication, with high morbidity and mortality. This work aims to help health professionals in caring for patients with COPD exacerbation, so as to ensure that these patients receive proper and complete care in emergency care situations