[Risk of osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Riesgo de fractura osteoporótica y de cadera en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica.

AIM: Osteoporosis is a frequent comorbidity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We have studied the risk of major osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture in patients with COPD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed in Spain in 26 hospitals of 16 regional communities. Patients diagnosed with COPD who required admission to the Internal Medicine Service due to exacerbation of their respiratory disease were enrolled. COPD was confirmed by post-bronchodilator spirometry in stable state: maximum expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) < 80% of the theoretical value and quotient FEV(1)/FVC < 0.70 and percent predicted after the administration of a bronchodilator. Dyspnea was evaluated with the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale. The principal variable was the likelihood of fracture evaluated with the FRAX® tool for the Spanish population. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety two patients, 347 (88%) men, with a mean (SD) age of 73.7 (8.9) years and a mean FEV1 of 1.23 liters (43.3% of predicted) were enrolled. Only 37 patients (9.4%), 27 men and 10 women had been diagnosed previously of osteoporosis. Overall, 1.8% (95% CI: 0.9-3.6) had a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture ≥ 20% and 49.7% (95% CI: 44.8-54.7) had a probability of hip fracture ≥ 3%. No relationship was observed between the probability of fracture and GOLD stage or mMRC dyspnea scale. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of osteoporosis is uncommon in our COPD patients. However, half of them have a high probability of a hip fracture in the next 10 years.

[Severe ocular symptoms as an initial manifestation of superior vena cava syndrome]. / Manifestaciones oculares como presentación de un síndrome de vena cava superior.

Superior vena cava syndrome is obstruction of blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC). It is most commonly caused by neoplasm, especially lung cancer. An obstructed SVC initiates collateral venous return to the heart from the upper half of the body and the classic symptoms and signs become obvious. Superior vena cava síndrome is a rare cause of ocular manifestations. We report a case of periorbital swelling, conjunctival edema an orbital proptosis in a male patient presenting malignant superior vena cava obstruction.

Incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children in Cáceres, Spain, during 1988-1999.

AIM: To determine the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Cáceres in children less than 14 years of age. We tested for differences in incidence by age, sex and season at diagnosis. METHODS: All Type 1 diabetes cases with onset <14 years of age between 1988 and 1999 were recorded retrospectively. Pediatric Unit registries provided the primary source of ascertainment. The secondary independent data source was based on the registries of local Diabetic Associations, diabetes camp records and guarantee cards of blood-glucose meters. We used the capture-recapture method for ascertainment. RESULTS: During the 12-year period, 137 new cases of Type 1 diabetes were identified. Completeness of ascertainment was 99.2%. Average annual observed incidence was 16.8/100,000/year (95% C.I. 14.1-19.8). Age-standardised incidence (world population): 16.5/100,000/year (95% C.I. 13.9-19.6). Average annual incidence for 0-4, 5-9 and 10-13-year-old groups: 12.7/100,000 (95% C.I. 8.8-17.9), 18.2/100,000 (95% C.I. 13.7-23.8) and 19.1/100,000 (95% C.I. 14.2-25.1). The highest age-specific annual incidence rate was found in the 10-13-year age group. There was a seasonal onset pattern, with the highest incidence in autumn and winter. November was the month with the highest number of cases (22/137). CONCLUSION: Cáceres has a moderately high incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children less than 14 years of age, similar to that found in other more developed and densely populated regions of Spain, and in the range of other countries of northern Europe. These data do not support the hypothesis of a decrease in the incidence of the disease from north to south over Europe.

[Spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]. / Síndrome de lisis tumoral espontáneo en una paciente con linfoma no Hodgkin.

An 77-year-old woman with no previous history of malignancy was admitted to the hospital with generalized weakness and malaise. Physical examination demonstrate multiple cervical adenopathies. The day after admission the patient developed severe metabolic derangements (hyperuricemia, hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia and azotemia) and expired. Consent for necropsy was refused. The cytology and molecular studies of cervical adenopathy sample were diagnostic of high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A presumptive diagnosis of non Hodgkin lymphoma with spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome was made.

Incidence of type I diabetes among children and young adults (0-29 years) in the province of Badajoz, Spain during 1992 to 1996.

In this study, we determine the incidence of Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in the 0-29-y-old group in Badajoz (the largest and least developed province of Spain). We test for differences in incidence by age at diagnosis, time cluster and sex. Diabetes clinics and periodic review of hospital administration data provided the primary source of ascertainment. The secondary independent data source was based on registries of local Diabetic Associations and guarantee cards of blood glucose meters. Data were collected retrospectively in the period 1992-95 and prospectively for 1996. During the 5-y period (1992-96), 186 new cases of Type I diabetes were identified. Completeness of ascertainment was 95%. Average annual incidence (95% CI) for the 0-14, 15-29 and 0-29-y-old groups was 17.6/100,000 (14.5-21.2), 8.8/100,000 (6.9-11.1) and 12.8/100,000 (11-14.7). The highest age-specific annual incidence rate was found in the 10-14 age group: 23.4/100,000 (17.6-30.4). The incidence in males (14.7/100,000/y) was higher than in females (10.7/100,000/y). There was a seasonal onset pattern, with the highest incidence in autumn and winter. October was the month with the highest number of new cases (29/186). The province of Badajoz has a moderately high incidence of Type I diabetes in 0-14-y-old children, similar to that found in other more developed and densely populated regions of Spain. These data contradict the hypothesis of a decrease in the incidence of the disease from north to south over Europe.