[General malaise and diarrhea as the main manifestations of Giardia lamblia infection]. / Síndrome general y diarrea como manifestación de infección por Giardia lamblia.

Giardia lamblia is a ubiquitous intestinal protozoan. Transmission, which is fecal-oral, occurs after cyst ingestion, excystation and enterocyte adhesion. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and other less frequent manifestations such as nausea, anorexia and weight loss. Enzyme immunoassay and direct fluorescent-antibody assay for antigen detection in stool samples, and small intestine biopsy provide the best diagnostic sensitivity. When an infection is suspected, duodenal biopsy should be carried out, even though endoscopic appearance may be normal. The most effective drugs in the treatment of this infection are metronidazole and tinidazole. We report a case of G. lamblia infection. The patient reported a clinical history of 4 months' duration with general malaise and diarrhea for the previous month. This form of presentation is rarely found in adults with this parasitosis. The diagnosis was based on the results of duodenal biopsy. The patient showed satisfactory response to treatment with metronidazole.

Síndrome general y diarrea como manifestación de infección por Giardia lamblia / General malaise and diarrhea as the main manifestations of Giardia lamblia infection

La Giardia lamblia o Giardia duodenalis es un protozoo cosmopolita, cuya transmisión, fecal-oral, se produce por la ingestión de sus quistes, que se desenquistan y se adhieren a los enterocitos. La clínica se caracteriza por la aparición de diarrea, dolor abdominal y otros síntomas menos frecuentes, como náuseas, anorexia y pérdida de peso. Las pruebas de enzimoinmunoanálisis, la inmunofluorescencia directa para buscar antígenos en muestras fecales y la biopsia intestinal son las técnicas que ofrecen mejor sensibilidad diagnóstica. En los casos en que se sospeche esta infección debe realizarse una biopsia de duodeno, aunque el aspecto endoscópico sea normal. El metronidazol y el tinidazol son los fármacos con mayor eficacia en el tratamiento. Se presenta el caso de un paciente con infección por G. lamblia, que consultó por un cuadro de síndrome general de 4 meses de evolución, forma no usual de presentación en el adulto de esta parasitosis, al que se añadió un cuadro diarreico en el último mes, cuyo diagnóstico se estableció a partir de la biopsia duodenal. El paciente respondió satisfactoriamente al tratamiento con metronidazol

Giardia lamblia is a ubiquitous intestinal protozoan. Transmission, which is fecal-oral, occurs after cyst ingestion, excystation and enterocyte adhesion. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and other less frequent manifestations such as nausea, anorexia and weight loss. Enzyme immunoassay and direct fluorescent-antibody assay for antigen detection in stool samples, and small intestine biopsy provide the best diagnostic sensitivity. When an infection is suspected, duodenal biopsy should be carried out, even though endoscopic appearance may be normal. The most effective drugs in the treatment of this infection are metronidazole and tinidazole. We report a case of G. lamblia infection. The patient reported a clinical history of 4 months' duration with general malaise and diarrhea for the previous month. This form of presentation is rarely found in adults with this parasitosis. The diagnosis was based on the results of duodenal biopsy. The patient showed satisfactory response to treatment with metronidazole

[Duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma]. / Paraganglioma gangliocítico duodenal.

We present the case of an 85 year old male who was admitted to hospital with abdominal pain and jaundice. Different explorations were performed for this reason, with a mass observed in his 2nd duodenal portion. Histological study showed that it was a duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma. The clinical characteristics of this infrequent tumour are described and we review the diagnosis and treatment.

Paraganglioma gangliocítico duodenal / Duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma

Se presenta el caso de un varón de 85 años queingresó por dolor abdominal e ictericia, por lo cual sele realizaron diversas exploraciones, apreciándose en2a porción duodenal una masa cuyo estudio histológicodemostró que se trataba de un paraganglioma gangliocíticoduodenal. Se describen las característicasclínicas de este infrecuente tumor y revisamos su diagnósticoy tratamiento

We present the case of an 85 year old male whowas admitted to hospital with abdominal pain andjaundice. Different explorations were performed forthis reason, with a mass observed in his 2nd duodenalportion. Histiological study showed that it was aduodenal gangliocytic paraganlioma. The clinicalcharacteristics of this infrequent tumour are describedand we review the diagnosis and treatment

[Chronic hepatitis C virus infection]. / Infección crónica por el VHC.

Following acute hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), a significant percentage of patients do not clear the virus and develop a chronic hepatitis C. The symptoms, when they exist, are usually unspecific. Besides, approximately one third of the patients present extrahepatic manifestations of the infection, basically due to the lymphotropism of HCV. Outstanding amongst these, due to their clear association with HCV, are mixed cryoglobulinaemia and the production of autoantibodies (autoAb). Other diseases such as non-Hodgkin lynphoma (NHL) or autoimmune thyroiditis do not have a clearly established association. Although the majority of patients with chronic hepatitis C have slight or moderately high levels and fluctuations of transaminases, as many as one third of those infected can show persistently normal levels of transaminases. The diagnosis of chronic HCV infection is based on serological tests, which detect the presence of antibodies against HCV, and on virological tests that detect RNA of the HCV, which confirm the existence of active infection. Finally, an important topic of chronic HCV infection, following diagnosis, is to ascertain the stage of fibrosis and the degree of inflammation, since both characteristics are very important for predicting the natural evolution and the need for treatment. Nowadays, this information can only be obtained through liver biopsy, which is recommended in patients with chronic HCV infection and high transaminases. Whether liver biopsy should be performed in patients with normal transaminases is still subject of controversy.

[Sentinel node in breast cancer. Histological study of 67 cases]. / Ganglio centinela en cáncer de mama. Estudio histológico de 67 casos.

BACKGROUND: The extirpation of the sentinel node is a widespread surgical technique whose aim is to avoid axillary resection in patients with breast cancer at early stages. Determination of tumoral infiltration can be evident in the case of macrometastasis (>2mm), or difficult to detect in micrometastasis (<2mm). For this reason we use a protocol of serialized sections, to increase our capacity for detecting micrometastasis. Realisation of this protocol is highly laborious and represents a high cost, thus its effectiveness and efficacy must be studied. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed 67 sentinel nodes corresponding to 48 patients with breast cancer treated at our hospital in the last three years. All the samples received at the Pathology Unit were included. Serialized sections of three microns were made on each node and with a depth of 40 microns between them. A total of fourteen cuts were made. Every five cuts there was an alternation of immunostaining with a cocktail of queratines (AE1/AE3) and with haemotoxylin-eosin. RESULTS: Sixty-seven sentinel nodes were extirpated from 48 patients. Fourteen positive (20%) were detected. Of these metastases, 6 were macrometastases >2mm, 5 were micrometastases <2mm and 3 were isolated cellular groups (between 0.2 and 2mm). In 6 cases (43%), the metastases only became evident with queratine staining in serialized cuts. Axillary resection was carried out in 44 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The histological study of the sentinel nodes makes it possible to evaluate the status of tumoral infiltration of the axillary ganglions and to greatly reduce axillary lymphadenectomies. The conventional study of the sentinel node (with a single section) is insufficient for the diagnosis of tumoral infiltration. In our series, histological study using a protocol of serialized sections has enabled us to detect some 43% of metastases in the sentinel node that were not evident in the initial section.

Ganglio centinela en cáncer de mama. Estudio histológico de 67 casos / Sentinel node in breast cancer. Histological study of 67 cases

Fundamento. La extirpación del ganglio centinela es una técnica quirúrgica muy extendida cuyo objetivo es evitar el vaciamiento axilar en pacientes con cáncer de mama en estadios iniciales. La determinación de la infiltración tumoral puede ser evidente en caso de macrometástasis (>2mm), o difícil de detectar en las micrometástasis (2mm, 5 fueron micrometástasis <2 mm y 3 grupo celular aislado (entre 0,2 y 2 mm) . En 6 casos (43 por ciento), las metástasis sólo se hicieron patentes con la tinción de queratina en los cortes seriados. Se realizó resección axilar en 44 casos. Conclusiones. El estudio histológico del ganglio centinela permite evaluar el estatus de infiltración tumoral de los ganglios axilares y reducir en gran medida las linfadenectomías axilares. El estudio convencional del ganglio centinela (con un único corte) resulta insuficiente para el diagnóstico de la infiltración tumoral. En nuestra serie el estudio histológico mediante un protocolo de cortes seriados nos ha permitido detectar un 43 por ciento de metástasis en ganglio centinela que no eran evidentes en el corte inicial (AU)

Infección crónica por el VHC / Chronic Hepatitis C virus infection

Tras la infección aguda por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC), un porcentaje importante de pacientes no aclara el virus y desarrollan una hepatitis crónica C. Los síntomas, cuando existen, suelen ser inespecíficos. Aproximadamente un tercio de los pacientes presentan además manifestaciones extrahepáticas de la infección, debidas fundamentalmente al linfotropismo del virus C. De éstas destacan, por su clara asociación con el VHC, la crioglobulinemia mixta y la producción de autoanticuerpos (autoAc). Otras enfermedades como el linfoma no Hodgkin (LNH) o la tiroiditis autoinmune no tienen una asociación claramente establecida. Aunque la mayoría de los pacientes con hepatitis crónica C tienen niveles ligeros o moderadamente elevados y fluctuantes de transaminasas, hasta un tercio de los infectados pueden presentar niveles persistentemente normales de transaminasas. El diagnóstico de la infección crónica por el VHC se basa en pruebas serológicas, que detectan la presencia de anticuerpos frente al VHC, y en pruebas virológicas que detectan RNA del VHC, que confirman la existencia de infección activa. Por último, un aspecto importante en la infección crónica por el VHC, tras el diagnóstico, es establecer el estadio de fibrosis y el grado de inflamación, ya que ambas características son muy importantes para predecir la evolución natural y la necesidad de tratamiento. Hoy en día esta información sólo puede obtenerse mediante biopsia hepática, que está indicada en pacientes con infección crónica por el VHC y transaminasas elevadas. Su indicación en pacientes con transaminasas normales permanece todavía controvertida (AU)

[Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma: an unusual form of cardiac rupture]. / Hematoma disecante intramiocárdico: una forma poco frecuente de rotura cardíaca.

The intramyocardial dissecting haematoma is an unusual rupture of the left ventricular wall, complicating acute myocardial infarction. The mechanism is an hemorrhagic dissection among the spiral myocardial fibres creating a neocavitation limited by the myocardium. It appears in 9% of left ventricular wall ruptures, complicating acute myocardial infarction. Diagnosis is often difficult and in most of the cases it is post-mortem. We present the case report of a 69 year old patient who suffered a posterolateral acute myocardial infarction treated with primary PTCA/Stent plus AAS, clopidogrel, unfractioned heparin bolus and GP IIb- IIIa inhibitors. In the following few hours he suffered this unusual form of cardiac rupture that took him into cardiogenic shock and finally led to his death. The pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of this lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (90% mortality in the medically treated group) which is only effectively treated by surgery are also reviewed.

Resultados comparativos de la disección ganglionar en cáncer de recto con y sin tratamiento previo del tejido adiposo / Comparative results of ganglion dissection in cancer of the rectum with and without prior treatment with adipose tissue

Fundamento. El propósito de este estudio es describir los resultados obtenidos mediante dos técnicas de aislamiento de ganglios linfáticos en piezas quirúrgicas de resección anterior por adenocarcinoma de recto. Material y métodos. En una serie de 30 casos consecutivos de pacientes intervenidos por adenocarcinoma de recto hemos realizado una búsqueda de ganglios de forma manual convencional y una segunda tras 24 horas en una solución desengrasante a temperatura ambiente. Resultados. En la primera búsqueda se han aislado 335 ganglios linfáticos con una media que oscila entre 6,46 y 17,58, correspondiendo los valores más bajos a los grupos que habían recibido tratamiento adyuvante previo. En la segunda inclusión, tras la acción de la solución de aclaramiento hemos encontrado nuevos ganglios (85) en un 70 por ciento de los casos, en número y tamaño sensiblemente inferior al inicial. Conclusiones. La disección ganglionar manual del tejido adiposo es un método fiable para el aislamiento de ganglios linfáticos en las piezas de resección por adenocarcinoma de recto. La búsqueda de ganglios linfáticos tras la acción de una solución de aclaramiento debe reservarse para los casos en los que no se alcanza el mínimo aconsejado en el estadiaje TNM (AU)

[Comparative results of ganglion dissection in cancer of the rectum with and without prior treatment of the adipose tissue]. / Resultados comparativos de la disección ganglionar en cáncer de recto con y sin tratamiento previo del tejido adiposo.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to describe the result obtained through two techniques of isolation of lymphatic lymph nodes in surgical pieces of anterior resection due to adenocarcinoma of the rectum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a search in a series of 30 consecutive cases of patients operated on for adenocarcinoma of the rectum for lymph nodes first in a manual conventional way and second after 24 hours in a degreasing solution at room temperature. RESULTS: In the first search 335 lymph nodes were lymph nodes isolated, with an average that oscillated between 6.46 and 17.58, with the lower values corresponding to the groups that had received prior adjuvant treatment. In the second inclusion, following the action of the clearing solution, we found new lymph nodes (85) in some 75% of the cases, appreciably lower in number and smaller in size than the initial search. CONCLUSIONS: Manual lymph nodes dissection of the adipose tissue is a reliable method for the isolation of lymphatic lymph nodes in pieces of resection due to adenocarcinoma of the rectum. The search for lymphatic ganglions following the action of a clearing solution should be reserved for cases in which the minimum recommended in the TNM staging is not reached