Handheld Echocardiography in a Clinical Practice Scenario: Concordances Compared to Standard Echocardiographic Reports.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of a handheld device (HH) used during common daily practice and its agreement with the results of a standard echocardiography study (STD) performed by experienced sonographers and echocardiographer. METHODS: A prospective follow-up was conducted in an adult outpatient echocardiography clinic. Experienced sonographers performed the STD and an experienced echocardiographer performed the HH. STD included 2-dimensional images, Doppler and hemodynamics analysis. Hemodynamic assessment was not performed with the HH device because the HH does not include such technology. The images were interpreted by blinded echocardiographers, and the agreement between the reports was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 108 patients were included; and the concordance for left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (EF), wall motion score index, LV and right ventricle (RV) function, RV size, and mitral and aortic stenosis was excellent with κ values greater than 0.80. Wall motion abnormalities had good concordance (κ value 0.78). The agreement for LV hypertrophy, mitral and aortic regurgitation was moderate, and tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation agreements were low (κ values of 0.26 and 0.25, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In a daily practice scenario with experienced hands, HH demonstrated good correlation for most echocardiography indications, such as ventricular size and function assessment and stenosis valve lesion analyses.

Bone-Marrow Stem Cells and Acellular Human Amniotic Membrane in a Rat Model of Heart Failure.

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of cardiovascular death worldwide and a major cause of heart failure. Recent studies have suggested that cell-based therapies with bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and human amniotic membrane (hAM) would recover the ventricular function after MI; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still controversial. Herein, we aimed to compare the effects of BMSC and hAM in a rat model of heart failure. MI was induced through coronary occlusion, and animals with an ejection fraction (EF) < 50% were included and randomized into three groups: control, BMSC, and hAM. The BMSC and hAM groups were implanted on the anterior ventricular wall seven days after MI, and a new echocardiographic analysis was performed on the 30th day, followed by euthanasia. The echocardiographic results after 30 days showed significant improvements on EF and left-ventricular end-sistolic and end-diastolic volumes in both BMSC and hAM groups, without significant benefits in the control group. New blood vessels, desmine-positive cells and connexin-43 expression were also elevated in both BMSC and hAM groups. These results suggest a recovery of global cardiac function with the therapeutic use of both BMSC and hAM, associated with angiogenesis and cardiomyocyte regeneration after 30 days.

Linfoma primário do pênis: relato de caso / Primary penile lymphoma: case report

Objetivo: Relatar o caso de um paciente diagnosticado com linfoma peniano primário, um dos subtipos menos comuns de câncer de pênis. Caso clínico: Paciente masculino, 63 anos, hígido, com queixa de ulcerações dolorosas em região balano-prepucial. Sem queixas urinárias, traumatismo peniano ou relação sexual desprotegida. Ao exame inicial, pênis com prepúcio exuberante, sinais de má higiene, tecido necrótico em glande e parafimose. Optou-se por postectomia, desbridamento de glande e cistostomia de proteção, com anatomopatológico demonstrando neoplasia maligna pouco diferenciada e análise imuno-histoquímica sugerindo linfoma de células B. O paciente realizou seis ciclos de quimioterapia, com remissão completa dos sintomas no quarto ciclo. Foi submetido à reconstrução de uretra e glande posteriormente, pela técnica de Mathieu (retalho cutâneo). Comentários: O linfoma peniano primário é ainda pouco relatado e conhecido. Ainda que seu manejo seja controverso, a quimioterapia adjuvante com terapia cirúrgica reconstrutiva se demonstrou uma opção eficiente de tratamento

Objective: To report the case of a patient diagnosed with primary penile lymphoma. Clinical case: A 63-years-old male patient presented with ulcerated lesions on the penis with a 2-week evolution. The patient denied urinary symptoms, penile trauma, or unprotected sex. The initial examination showed a penis with an exuberant foreskin and signs of poor local hygiene, with paraphimosis and necrotic tissue on the gland. A postectomy and debridement of the gland was performed, and the anatomopathological exam showed poorly differentiated malignancy, while the immunohistochemical analysis suggested B-cell lymphoma. The patient was submitted to six cycles of chemotherapy, with complete remission of the symptoms after the fourth cycle. In sequence, a reconstruction of the urethra and glans was performed using the Mathieu's technique. Comments: Primary penile lymphoma is still a poorly reported disease. Although its management remains controversial, adjuvant chemotherapy with reconstructive surgical therapy showed to be an efficient approach

Uso do Princípio de Mitrofanoff com Técnica de Yang-Monti para Derivação Urinária: Relato em Paciente Jovem / Use of the mitrofanoff principle and Yang-Monti Technique for urinary diversion in a young patiente: case report

Objetivo: relatar o caso de uma paciente submetida a cirurgia de derivação urinária utilizando o princípio de Mitrofanoff com a técnica de Yang-Monti. Caso clínico: paciente, feminino, 26 anos, apresentou- -se com queixas de dor para realização de sondagem vesical por sequela de bexiga neurogênica subsequente a ressecção prévia de tumor medular. Após falha medicamentosa, decidiu-se pela urostomia a fim de formar um conduto cateterizável no abdome, seguindo o princípio de Mitrofanoff. Durante o ato cirúrgico, houve aposição do apêndice cecal na cúpula da bexiga objetivando anastomosar sua extremidade distal na cicatriz umbilical. Entretanto, devido à sua falta de comprimento, optou-se por alongar o conduto com um segmento intestinal remodelado pela técnica de Yang-Monti. Comentários: o princípio de Mitrofanoff com a técnica de Yang-Monti, utilizando segmentos intestinais remodelados devido à incompatibilidade do apêndice cecal, demonstrou-se segura e efetiva para o tratamento da incontinência urinária.

Objective: To report the case of a patient submitted to a urinary diversion surgery using the Mitrofanoff principle with the Yang-Monti technique. Clinical case: A 26-years-old patient presented with complaints of pain for bladder catheterization due to a neurogenic bladder sequel after previous spinal tumor resection. After drug-therapy failure, urostomy was decided to form a catheterizable conduit in the abdomen, using the Mitrofanoff principle. During the surgical procedure, the appendix of the cecal was affixed to the dome of the bladder in order to anastomosis its distal part to the umbilical scar. However, due to its lack of length, it was decided to lengthen the conduit with an intestinal segment remodeled by the Yang-Monti technique. Comments: The Mitrofanoff principle associated to the Yang-Monti technique using remodeled intestinal segments, due to the incompatibility of the cecal appendix, proved to be a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of urinary incontinence.