Giant cell arteritis and usefulness of a predictive calculator. / Arteritis de células gigantes y uso de calculadora de predictibilidad.

INTRODUCTION: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an inflammatory disease with serious visual sequelae, in which the diagnosis with the temporal artery biopsy (TAB) is very important. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All cases of GCA were collected from 2010 to 2016 (60) in a retrospective study with temporal artery biopsy performed. The vision aspects of these patients were also analysed, along with the need / predictability of the biopsy. RESULTS: The average incidence of GCA was 34.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year in those older than 50 years. The mean age was 79.9 with a predilection for females (1.9: 1). TAB was requested in 100% of cases, with 18.3% with positive results. The AAR criteria and / or TAB calculator could have avoided most (90%) of the biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the mean incidence of GCA was 34.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year older than 50 years. The predictability calculator described by González-López is useful in this environment for decision making on the diagnosis of GCA and the indication of a TAB, in such a way that it can help to reduce the performing of biopsies only in doubtful cases.

Visual involvement in foreign-body intestinal perforations.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal perforation due to ingestion of a foreign body accounts for 21% of the total in our hospital. METHODS: All cases of intestinal perforation due to foreign body ingestion occurring since 1990 were collected (29 cases), and the visual characteristics of these patients were analysed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The mean age was 74.2 years (all of them presbyopic) with the majority being female (1.9:1). The most frequently ingested foreign body was fish bone (55%). The corrected near visual acuity obtained a mean value of 0.73, while the real visual accuity (only one of them wore glasses to eat) was 0.145. Four patients (20%) had only one eye, and the TNO test was positive in only 12 (60%). At least 13 (65%) had some degree of cataract. CONCLUSIONS: Improving near visual acuity with either early cataract surgery and/or multifocal intraocular lenses may decrease the number of gastrointestinal perforations.

[Bone metabolism markers in thalassemia]. / Markers del metabolismo osseo nella talassemia.

The A.A. performed a screening on 113 patients affected by beta-thalassemia major ranging in age between 2 and 40 years, randomized among those which come to the Microcitemic Center of our Institute, and in a control group. In everybody, serum levels of calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin and 25-OH vitamin D were measured. Average serum levels of PTH were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in patients than controls and 12.4% of them were clearly under normal range, especially in the group above 16 years of age. Also serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D were lower in thalassemic subjects than in controls, because of the presence of 32 patients with values under normal limit. Our results are in agreement with current literature that underline the increasing incidence of endocrine complications in thalassemic patients which undergo to high transfusion regimens, owing to the increase of emosiderosis due to the low compliance to iron chelation therapy. Controversial is the pathogenesis of the absence of hypocalcemia in many patients with hypoparathyroidism and the determinism of the deficit of vitamin D.