Presentation, treatment, and clinical course of otogenic lateral sinus thrombosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Otogenic lateral sinus thrombosis (OLST) is almost always associated with other complications of chronic otitis media (COM) and did not present a distinct clinical expression. In our experience, OLST exhibits a benign course if the underlying disease is controlled. Mastoidectomy in combination with broad-spectrum antibiotics provided effective treatment. Anticoagulation therapy is no longer used routinely. Recanalization is rare and is independent of the use of anticoagulants. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the clinical aspects and evolution of OLST. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study investigated a retrospective case series in a tertiary teaching hospital. From 1993 to 2007, eight cases of OLST were treated. The clinical and imaging data, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. The follow-up period ranged from a minimum of 6 months to 5 years. RESULTS: In all eight patients, the lateral sinus thrombosis was detected by imaging studies performed to evaluate complications and symptoms related to COM. Fever, headache, and cranial nerve paralysis were the main clinical manifestations associated with coexisting mastoiditis, meningitis, and cerebellar and epidural abscess. We could not identify features specific to lateral sinus thrombosis in any case. All patients underwent mastoidectomy and were given broad-spectrum antibiotics for 2 months. Four cases were anticoagulated and all eight cases experienced complete clinical recovery without sequelae.

[Sepsis and antibiotic prophylaxis in stereotaxic neurosurgery]. / Sepsis y profilaxis antibiótica en neurocirugía estereotáxica.

INTRODUCTION: Stereotaxic surgery is becoming increasingly important because of the possibility of approaching the deep zones of the brain with less risk. It is in daily use in cerebral tumours and in the functional surgery of Parkinson's disease. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in neurosurgery is controversial, although in many centres, including ours, all patients receive it. OBJECTIVE: To study the pre-operative clinical characteristics analysing the antibiotic prophylaxis used, septic complications seen and their management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study we included 93 patients with neurosurgical disorders operated on using a stereotaxic approach in the Neurosurgical Department of the Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurologica (Cuba) during 1997 and 1998, in which antibiotic prophylaxis was used and septic patients detected. The variables studied included age, sex, neurological disorders, surgical operations done and the antibiotic used for prophylaxis. We analysed the test of clinical criteria for sepsis in all patients. RESULTS: We found that a greater number of patients operated on had had functional surgery, which showed its importance as an alternative surgical method in Parkinson's disease. There was satisfactory use of antibiotic prophylaxis with a reduction in the rate of nosocomial infection; most infections were seen in the lower respiratory tract. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis of use of antibiotic prophylaxis in stereotaxic surgery to achieve a reduction in intra-hospital infections in surgical patients.

Prevalence of microorganisms in dead mink kits from Aleutian-disease-infected and non-infected farms.

Bacterial and fungi were isolated from different tissues (brain, liver, heart) taken from 81 dead newborn mink originating from Aleutian disease (AD) infected and AD-non-infected farms. Of the 123 isolates obtained, 96% were bacterial isolates (predominantly Gram-negative) and 4% were fungi. The prevalence of microorganisms appeared less common in kits from AD-non-infected farms (55%) than from AD-infected farms (73%), although the difference was not significant. The liver was the most highly infected site in both groups and generally was only infected by one microorganism species. Proteus spp (23%), Escherichia coli (16%), Staphylococcus aureus (11%) and Enterobacter cloacae (9%) were the most frequently isolated germs. These findings are similar to those of other studies but the role of these microorganisms as specific pathogens or secondary invaders remains controversial.

Pielonefrite experimental em ratos pela inoculaçäo direta de bactérias no parênquima renal: correlaçäo com hipertensäo arterial / Experimental pyelenophritis in the rato under want percutaneous intra-renal inoculation of bacteria correlation with blood pressure

Para estudar a relaçäo entre pielonefrite crônica experimental e hipertensäo arterial, ratos Sprague Dawley foram submetidos a inoculaçäo de bactérias (P. mirabílis e E. coli) no parênquima renal por via transcutânea. Grupos de animais foram acompanhados por 3,6 e 9 meses com tomadas mensais da tensäo arterial e realizaçäo de uroculturas no grupo de 9 meses. Ao final do período de observaçäo, os animais foram sacrificados e os rins submetidos a estudo bacteriológico e histopatológico; foram, também, realizadas uroculturas e avaliaçäo da funçäo renal pela dosagem de uréia e creatinina plasmática. Em todos os animais foram observadas, histologicamente, lesöes e pielonefrite crônica. Infecçäo ativa foi ainda encontrda em 18 (41,9//) animais por ocasiäo do sacrifício, frequentemente associada a urolitiase naqueles animais infectados por P. mirabilis. Lesöes vasculares hipertensivas dos tipo anterioloesclerose hialina e necrose fibrinóide foram encontradas nas vizinhanças, ou contíguas, às lesöes de pielonefrite crônica, correlacionando-se principalmente com aumento do nível de tensäo arterial, porem tais lesöes foram também encontradas em animais normotensos. Hipertensäo arterial foi observado em 19 (44,1// animais. Quando se fez comparaçäo das médias de tensäo arterial dos sub-grupos experimentais e controles dos 3 grupos de animais, houve diferença estatisticamente significante do aumento da tensäo arterial apenas no grupo acompanhado até 3 meses, embora nos outros dois grupos experimentais tenha-se observado um nítido aumento da média de tensäo arterial final em relaçäo à média de tensäo arterial inicial

[Is moss and foot an entity or a syndrome? Report of a case]. / Moos y foot es una entidad o un síndrome? Presentación de un caso.

Dermatological lesions of a patient are studied and investigated. It is suggested that they belong to a syndrome rather than to an entity. The following etiological classification of the mossy syndrome is proposed: due to bacteria, fungi and viruses, and secondary to other dermatopathies. Bibliography is reviewed.