Estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness in Spain using sentinel surveillance data.

We aimed to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against laboratory-confirmed influenza during three influenza seasons (2010/11 to 2012/2013) in Spain using surveillance data and to compare the results with data obtained by the cycEVA study, the Spanish component of the Influenza Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness (I-MOVE) network. We used the test-negative case­control design, with data from the Spanish Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System (SISS) or from the cycEVA study. Cases were laboratory-confirmed influenza patients with the predominant influenza virus of each season, and controls were those testing negative for any influenza virus. We calculated the overall and age-specific adjusted VE. Although the number of patients recorded in the SISS was three times higher than that in the cycEVA study, the quality of information for important variables, i.e. vaccination status and laboratory results, was high in both studies. Overall, the SISS and cycEVA influenza VE estimates were largely similar during the study period. For elderly patients (> 59 years), the SISS estimates were slightly lower than those of cycEVA, and estimates for children (0­14 years) were higher using SISS in two of the three seasons studied. Enhancing the SISS by collecting the date of influenza vaccination and reducing the percentage of patients with incomplete information would optimise the system to provide reliable annual influenza VE estimates to guide influenza vaccination policies.

Can pseudocavitation in lung tumors predict the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth? / Seudocavitación en las neoplasias de pulmón. ¿Permite predecir el diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma con crecimiento lepídico?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pseudocavitation in lung tumors and whether its presence makes it possible to predict the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed chest CT studies for 212 consecutive lung tumors included in a CT perfusion database and for 351 consecutive adenocarcinomas diagnosed between July 2007 and September 2017. Two radiologists blinded to the pathology report determined whether air cysts were present in the tumors, excluding lesions with necrosis and those surrounded by bullae or emphysema. We analyzed whether the presence of pseudocavitation was associated with the histologic type, size, or EGFR positivity of the tumor as well as with the age or sex of the patient. We also evaluated the relationship with the histologic subtype of the tumor in patients who underwent surgery. We used the chi-square test for categorical variables and logistic regression for continuous variables. RESULTS: Pseudocavitation was present in 15% of the tumors and was significantly more common in adenocarcinomas (24.1%), p=0.003, although it was also observed in 9.8% of the epidermoid carcinomas and in 3% of the microcytic carcinomas. For the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, the presence of pseudocavitation yielded 92.4% specificity, 24% sensitivity, 73.3% PPV, 58.4% NPV, and 37.6% accuracy. In the resected adenocarcinomas, 65% of the tumors with pseudocavitation had lepidic growth; the prevalence of pseudocavitation was 40.6% in tumors with lepidic growth, 31.5% in those with acinar growth, and 33% in those with papillary growth. Pseudocavitation was significantly more common in women (29%); no differences were found with respect to age, size, or EGFR positivity. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudocavitation is more common in adenocarcinomas with lepidic growth and in women.

Seudocavitación en las neoplasias de pulmón. ¿Permite predecir el diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma con crecimiento lepídico? / Can pseudocavitation in lung tumors predict the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth?

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la prevalencia de seudocavitación en las neoplasias de pulmón y si permite predecir el diagnóstico del adenocarcinoma con crecimiento lepídico. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Revisión retrospectiva de las tomografías computarizadas (TC) de tórax de 212 neoplasias de pulmón consecutivas incluidas en una base de datos de perfusión por TC y de 351 adenocarcinomas consecutivos diagnosticados entre julio de 2007 y septiembre de 2017. Dos radiólogos recogieron la presencia o ausencia de quistes aéreos en el tumor sin conocer los resultados de anatomía patológica, excluyendo las lesiones con necrosis, rodeadas de bullas o enfisema. Se analizó si la presencia de seudocavitación tenía relación con el tipo histológico, el tamaño de la lesión y la positividad para el receptor del factor de crecimiento epidérmico (EGFR) del tumor, la edad y el sexo del paciente. También se valoró la relación con el subtipo histológico del adenocarcinoma en aquellos pacientes sometidos a cirugía. Se utilizó la prueba de la χ2 para variables cualitativas y el modelo de regresión logística para variables cuantitativas. RESULTADOS: El 15% de las neoplasias presentaron seudocavitación, que fue significativamente más frecuente en los adenocarcinomas (24,1%), p = 0,003, si bien también se observó en el 9,8% de los carcinomas epidermoides y en el 3% de los carcinomas microcíticos. Presentó una especificidad del 92,4% para predecir el diagnóstico del adenocarcinoma, con una sensibilidad del 24%, un valor predictivo positivo (VPP) del 73,3%, un valor predictivo negativo del 58,4% y una precisión del 37,6%. En los adenocarcinomas resecados, el 65% de los tumores con seudocavitación presentaron crecimiento lepídico con una prevalencia del 40,6% en lepídicos, 31,5% en acinares y 33% en papilares. Fue significativamente más frecuente en mujeres (29%) y no se encontraron diferencias en función de la edad, tamaño y positividad para EGFR. CONCLUSIONES: La seudocavitación es más frecuente en los adenocarcinomas con crecimiento lepídico y en mujeres

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pseudocavitation in lung tumors and whether its presence makes it possible to predict the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed chest CT studies for 212 consecutive lung tumors included in a CT perfusion database and for 351 consecutive adenocarcinomas diagnosed between July 2007 and September 2017. Two radiologists blinded to the pathology report determined whether air cysts were present in the tumors, excluding lesions with necrosis and those surrounded by bullae or emphysema. We analyzed whether the presence of pseudocavitation was associated with the histologic type, size, or EGFR positivity of the tumor as well as with the age or sex of the patient. We also evaluated the relationship with the histologic subtype of the tumor in patients who underwent surgery. We used the chi-square test for categorical variables and logistic regression for continuous variables. RESULTS: Pseudocavitation was present in 15% of the tumors and was significantly more common in adenocarcinomas (24.1%), p = 0.003, although it was also observed in 9.8% of the epidermoid carcinomas and in 3% of the microcytic carcinomas. For the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, the presence of pseudocavitation yielded 92.4% specificity, 24% sensitivity, 73.3% PPV, 58.4% NPV, and 37.6% accuracy. In the resected adenocarcinomas, 65% of the tumors with pseudocavitation had lepidic growth; the prevalence of pseudocavitation was 40.6% in tumors with lepidic growth, 31.5% in those with acinar growth, and 33% in those with papillary growth. Pseudocavitation was significantly more common in women (29%); no differences were found with respect to age, size, or EGFR positivity. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudocavitation is more common in adenocarcinomas with lepidic growth and in women

[The concept of disaster and its application in Asturias]. / El concepto de desastre y su aplicación en Asturias.

FUNDAMENTALS: Disaster can be defined as an unusual event for which the impact exceeds the affected community ability to meet the effects using own resources. The aim of the study is review the recent disaster profile of Asturias and assess the applicability of current disaster definitions in our context. METHODS: We considered as disaster each event producing casualties and requiring intervention of the civil protection services during the period 1982-1993, excluding minor transit accidents with no participation of the civil protection services. Date, place, characteristics, mortality and morbidity impact were studied for each event and then analyzed. We studied also current availability health resources in case of disaster. RESULTS: 14 events were recorded yielding to 88 deceased and 3 injured people (6.28 deaths by event). Aviation accidents were the most frequent event (35.7%) followed by railway, mining, shipwrecks and floods. Shipwrecks had higher mortality impact (36.3% of the total deceased people). Only minor technological disasters has happened in Asturias. This prevalence pattern differs from the spanish one characterized by a double face (natural and technological disasters). CONCLUSIONS: Traditional concept of major disaster cannot be applied to the Asturias context as the exam of our recent epidemiological prevalence pattern shows. Only mayor transit accidents (aviation, railway and shipwrecks) occur and its impact can be easily managed by the current relief community resources. However, an important potential risk of technological disasters exists and it requires have ready sectorial prevention plans.

[An aggressive inguinal (parafunicular) angiomyxoma in a male patient]. / Angiomixoma agresivo inguinal (parafunicular) en paciente varón.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of aggressive inguinal angiomyxoma in a male patient. METHODS: An 82-year-old male patient presented with a well-defined, 6 cm. parafunicular mass in the right groin. The mass was located adjacent to the spermatic cord and had been noted 8 years earlier. Patient evaluation included CT, ultrasound and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: The CT and US findings suggested lymph node enlargement. Microscopic analysis showed a myxoid tumor with partially infiltrating margins, vascular channels of small-sized vessels with thick walls occasionally with hyalinization and spindle-shaped or stellate mesenchymal cells with ill-defined margins without atypia or mitosis that were positive for vimentin and negative for actin, desmin, keratins, CD34 and protein S-100. No tumor recurrence or metastasis has been observed at 26-months' follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is one of the few cases of inguinal angiomyxoma in male patients; 16 have been reported to date. This neoplasm appears to originate from pelvic soft tissue fibroblasts.