[Pelvic organ prolapse during pregnancy: treatment with vaginal pessary. A report of two cases]. / Prolapso de órganos pélvicos durante el embarazo tratado con pesario. Reporte de dos casos.

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse during pregnancy is a rare condition that may be associated with maternal and fetal complications. Objetive: To describe the experience of two cases of pelvic organ prolapse during pregnancy managed with vaginal pessary. Case report: The cases of two patients with grade 4 vaginal prolapse during pregnancy managed with vaginal pessary until the time of delivery are presented. The patients had improvement of their symptoms without complications related to prolapse or pessary use. Conclusion: Early recognition, monitoring and management of this condition are essential. The vaginal pessary is a good option for transient treatment and is associated with few complications.

MODIFICACIÓN DE SUPERFICIES DE ORO MEDIANTE LA TÉCNICA DE NANOLITOGRAFÍA DIP PEN - DPN / SURFACE MODIFICATION ON GOLD SUBSTRATES USING DIP PEN NANOLITHOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE / MODIFICAÇÃO DE SUPERFÍCIES DE OURO PELA TÉCNICA NANOLITHOGRAPHY DIP PEN - DPN

En este trabajo se modificó la superficie de un sustrato de oro usando la técnica Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) y dos tipos de puntas. Los patrones creados por el cantilever A-Frame, AF, son más homogéneos que los Diving Board, DB, esto puede deberse a que la punta DB presenta una mayor concentración de tinta que la AF, al presentar una forma rectangular hay más concentración de esfuerzos en las esquinas del rectángulo y de la punta, por tanto se tienen más opciones de presentar una adhesión de la tinta a las esquinas y una vez se empieza con el proceso de creación del patrón se desprenda la tinta en el sustrato, depositando una mayor cantidad de ella. Por otro lado, el cantilever AF presenta una forma triangular y cuenta con una única zona en la cual se concentran los esfuerzos y donde la tinta queda en exceso.

In this work the effect of two types of tips A and M, over the patterns made on a gold substrate was explored. The patterns were built with a nanolithography, acrylic ink and gold substrate, disposing each tip with a triangular shape cantilever A-Frame (AF) on one side and a rectangular Dibbing Board (DB) cantilever on the other side. The patterns created by AF are more homogeneous than DB, this may be due to the rectangular shape of the DB which presents more ink concentration, because having a rectangular shape concentrates stress in the borders and the tip, having more possibilities to present ink adhesion in the borders of the cantilever and once the process begins with the creation of the pattern the ink merges with the substrate, depositing higher amount of ink in contrast with AF because it's triangular shape counts with only one zone where the stress focuses which leads to causes ink surplus.

Neste trabalho são alteradas a superfície de um substrato de ouro utilizando a técnica de dip pen nanolithography (DPN) e dois tipos de pontas. Os padrões criados pelo cantilever A-Frame, AF, são mais homogêneas do que divingboard, DB, esta pode ser a ponta DB tem uma maior concentração de tinta do que a AF, ao pressentar uma forma retangular se tem mais concentração de esforços nos cantos do retângulo e ponta, por isso você tem mais opções para apresentar uma aderência da tinta para os cantos e uma vez que você iniciar o processo de criação do padrão se desprenda a tinta é aparente no substrato, depositando uma maior quantidade de ela. Por outro lado, cantilever AF apresenta uma forma triangular e tem uma única área em que se concentram os esforços e onde a tinta em excesso.

Frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM, IgA and IgE in colombian patients with acute and chronic ocular toxoplasmosis.

We studied the frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgM, IgA and IgE antibodies in serum of 28 immunocompetent Colombian patients, selected by ophthalmologists and with lesions that were compatible with ocular toxoplasmosis. Patients were classified in three groups: (i) group 1 consisted of ten patients with a first episode; (ii) group 2, with seven patients with a recurrence and (iii) group 3, consisted of eleven patients with chronic chorioretinal lesion without uveitis. We found that 10/28 (35%) of Colombian patients with ocular toxoplasmosis possessed at least one serological marker for Toxoplasma infection different from IgG. In group 1 (first episode), we found simultaneous presence of specific IgM plus IgA plus IgE in 1/10 (10%). In group 2 (recurrences) in 1/7 (14%) we found IgM and IgA test positives and in 1/7 (14%) we found IgM and IgE tests positives. In group 3 (toxoplasmic chorioretinal scar) the IgA serological test was positive in 2/11 (18%). These results show that serum IgM or IgA or IgE can be present during recurrences.

A maternal screening program for congenital toxoplasmosis in Quindio, Colombia and application of mathematical models to estimate incidences using age-stratified data.

We studied 937 pregnant women from Quindio, Colombia for the presence of specific anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody technique (IFAT-IgG). Specific anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies detected using the immunosorbent agglutination assay (ISAgA-IgM) were investigated in patients with high titers in the IFAT-IgG (dilutions > or = 1:1,024). We used mathematical models based on the age prevalence results of the IFAT-IgG to estimate the number of seroconversions and these were compared with the results predicted by the IgM based-incidence results. We found 15 positive cases by ISAgA-IgM and we were able to follow the children of six mothers from this group in which we found one case of congenital toxoplasmosis with the development of a retinal scar despite prenatal and postnatal treatment. The estimation of new cases for the annual total of pregnancies (approximately 8,000) in the Quindio region was 30-120 according to the ISAgA-IgM results and 57-85 using mathematical models. Thus, mathematical models based on age prevalence can give useful estimations of the magnitude of the problem.

Abortion counseling: attention to the whole woman.

Women's experience of pregnancy and abortion are examined and redefined. Abortion may be undertaken for a variety of reasons, and involves not only physical and emotional health, but also a woman's basic identity. Under restrictive norms and laws set by men, women's decision to abort is a subversive act. Recommendations are made for comprehensive services, including psychosocial counseling to help women cope with social pressures and experience abortion as an act of self-affirmation.

[Vaginitis due to Gardnerella vaginalis in a university medical service]. / Vaginitis por Gardnerella vaginalis en un servicio medico universitario.

PIP: Between August 1983 and June 1984, a total of 363 women were studied who had been referred to the medical service of the School of Bacteriology and Laboratory Clinic of the University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia, for obtaining vaginal cytology. They either had or did not have vaginal discharge. The smears were tested for Gardnerella vaginalis and Trichomonas vaginalis. The majority of the patients were in the third, fourth, and fifth decades of their lives: 51%, 24.5%, and 14%, respectively. 104 (28.7%) patients had discharge as ascertained both subjectively and objectively. 74 (20.4%) complained of discharge, but it could not be confirmed objectively; 38 (10.5%) did not have discharge by objective findings; and 147 (40.5%) neither complained of, nor were found to have, discharge. 223 (61.4%) women did not use contraceptives. 56 (15.4%) women used hormonal contraceptives and 45 (12.4%) used IUDs; 20 (5.5%) had undergone tubal ligation; 8 (2.2%) used spermicides and 10 (2.8%) had undergone hysterectomy; and 1 woman used various combinations of methods. 70 (21.8%) had vaginitis caused by Gardnerella, 28 (7.7%) had candidiasis, and 10 (2.8%) had trichomoniasis; 4 cases were associated with Gardnerella and Candida and 2 cases had mixed infection (both Candida and Trichomonas); and 240 (66.1%) patients did not show any kind of bacteria. The following variables were associated with Gardnerella vaginitis (p 0.0001) as opposed to other forms of vaginitis: Gram compatibility with Gardnerella; the pH of the vaginal secretion was 4.51 or higher; the homogeneous aspect of the discharge; the presence of cells and odor; the absence of lactobacilli and Corynebacteria; the positivity of Gardnerella culture; and the absence or low count of leukocytes (p 0.02). 20 (25.3%) of the 79 patients with Gardnerella vaginitis, 3 (10.7%) of the 28 patients with candidiasis, and 2 (20%) of 10 patients with trichomoniasis neither had discharge nor could that be confirmed by speculum examination. On the other hand, 62 (25.8%) of the 240 patients without the etiologic agents of vaginitis did have discharge as ascertained objectively. Of these, 22 (35.5%) displayed congestion and erosion of the cervix.^ieng