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Introduction: Primary aldosteronism is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. Adrenal vein sampling is the gold standard for subtyping primary aldosteronism. However, this procedure is technically challenging and often has a low success rate. Our center is one of the very few performing this technique in our country with an increasing experience. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the cortisol intraprocedural assay in improving the performance of adrenal vein sampling. Design: We enrolled all of the patients with primary aldosteronism that underwent adrenal vein sampling from February 2016 to April 2023. The cortisol intraprocedural assay was introduced in October 2021. Methods: We enrolled a total of 50 adrenal vein samplings performed on 43 patients with the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism. In this sample, 19 patients and 24 patients underwent adrenal vein sampling before and after intraprocedural cortisol measurement, respectively. The procedure was repeated in seven patients (one before and six after intraprocedural cortisol measurement), given the unsuccess of the first exam. Selectivity of the adrenal vein sampling was assumed if the serum cortisol concentration from the adrenal vein was at least five times higher than that of the inferior vena cava. Lateralization was assumed if the aldosterone to cortisol ratio of one adrenal vein was at least four times the aldosterone to cortisol ratio of the contralateral side. Results: The mean age of the patients that underwent adrenal vein sampling (N = 43) was 55.2 ± 8.9 years, and 53.5% (n = 23) were female. The mean interval between the diagnosis of hypertension and the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism was 9.8 years (±9.9). At diagnosis, 62.8% of the patients (n = 27) had hypokalemia (mean value of 3 mmol/L (±0.34)), 88.4% (n = 38) had adrenal abnormalities on preprocedural CT scan, and 67.4% (n = 29) described as unilateral nodules. There were no statistically significant differences in the patients' baseline characteristics between the two groups (before and after intraprocedural cortisol measurement). Before intraprocedural cortisol measurement, adrenal vein sampling selectivity was achieved in 35% (n = 7) patients. Selectivity increased to 100% (30/30) after intraprocedural cortisol measurement (p < 0.001). With the exception of one patient who refused it, all patients with lateralized disease underwent unilateral adrenalectomy with normalization of the aldosterone to renin ratio postoperatively. Conclusions: The lack of effective alternatives in subtyping primary aldosteronism highlights the need to improve the success rate of adrenal vein sampling. In this study, intraprocedural cortisol measurement allowed a selectivity of 100%. Its addition to this procedure protocol should be considered, especially in centers with a low success rate.
RESUMO
Background Portugal has the highest prevalence rate of HIV infection in Western Europe. The proportion of patients with a late diagnosis, carried out in full-blown AIDS stage, remains high. Skin and mucous membrane manifestations are not rare in these patients. Objective A demographic, clinical, and laboratorial characterization of patients with de novo HIV infection diagnosis made in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology of a central hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Methods Retrospective review of medical records of adult patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection (reactive immunoassay for antibodies to HIV-1/HIV-2 or HIV p24 antigen) in the Dermatology and Venereology Department of a Portuguese central hospital in the period between January 2005 and December 2013. Results During the study period, 97 new cases were diagnosed, 70 men and 27 women. The median age at diagnosis was 36 years. Of the total, 50 cases were diagnosed with a concomitant sexually transmitted infection (STI), more frequently syphilis and ano-genital HPV infection. The remaining 47 patients were diagnosed with other dermatological conditions such as prurigo nodularis, psoriasis, and Kaposi's sarcoma. The duration of complaints that lead to medical attention ranged from <1 week to 8 years, being significantly lower in patients diagnosed with a concomitant STI ( p < 0.01). Basal viral load was also lower in this group of patients ( p < 0.05). Of all the new diagnosed cases, 80% of patients are currently retained in care. Conclusion This study grants a descriptive overview of de novo HIV infection diagnoses performed by dermatovenereologists in a central hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. As in the past, the importance of Dermato-Venereology for HIV infection diagnosis remains present in daily clinical practice.