[Acute hepatitis C. A clinical and epidemiological study]. / Hepatitis aguda C. Estudio clínico y epidemiológico.

BACKGROUND: The discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the possibility of determining anti-HCV serum antibodies has permitted greater etiological, clinical and epidemiological knowledge of non A non B hepatitis (NANB). METHODS: The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 47 patients with acute hepatitis C were studied. Diagnosis was based on compatible clinical and analytical picture as well as positivity of the anti-HCV antibodies. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the patients were intravenous drug abusers (IVDA). Thirty-four percent had transfusion antecedents and the remaining were sporadic forms of which 3 cases corresponded to health care workers. The study of other viral markers demonstrated that only in the IVDA collective did infections by hepatitis B and delta (HBV and HDV) and by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coexist. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected between 15 days and 8 months (mean 38 +/- 74 days) of clinic initiation; with no differences being found regarding the form of contagion. The incubation period of transfused patients was 50 +/- 15 days. In 2 cases the disease followed a biphasic course, in 4 patients a cholestatic profile was observed, and in 12 the hepatitis was anicteric. In 28% of the cases controlled over 6 months the disease autolimited itself and 72% developed active chronic hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Most cases of acute hepatitis C are of intravenous origin with a prolonged period of anti-HCV positivization. No differences exist in the clinical picture of the disease regarding the form of contagion and the great tendency to chronicity of hepatitis C is confirmed, regardless of the mechanisms of acquiring the disease.

[Mondor's disease. Presentation of a case]. / Enfermedad de Mondor. A propósito de un caso.

Superficial thrombophlebitis is a common process. It usually affects lower limbs, but sometimes appears in rather special locations such as the anterior wall of the chest or in the penis, and is called Mondor's disease. It is important to identify it in order to exclude breast malignancy, with which it is often associated.