Epithelial and stromal thickness profile and lens decentration in myopic orthokeratology / Perfil de espesor epitelial y estromal y descentrado del cristalino en ortoqueratología miope

Purpose: To study topographic epithelial and total corneal thickness changes in myopic subjects undergoing successful orthokeratology treatment in connection with the objective assessment of contact lens decentration. Methods: A prospective-observational and non-randomized study in 32 Caucasian myopic eyes undergoing Ortho-k for 3 months. Total, epithelial, and stromal thicknesses were studied before and after Ortho-k treatment, using optical coherence tomography with anterior segment application software. Central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral values are taken along 8 semi-meridians. Results: The central average total corneal thickness was 4.72 ± 1.04 μm thinner after Ortho-K. The paracentral corneal thickness showed no significant changes (p = 0.137), while the mid-peripheral corneal thickness was increased by 3.25 ± 1.6 μm associating this increase exclusively to the epithelial plot (p<0.001). When lens centration was assessed, a lens fitting decentration less than 1.0 mm was found for the whole sample, predominantly horizontal-temporal (87.5%) and vertical-inferior (50%) decentring. Corneal topographical analysis revealed a horizontal and vertical epithelial thickness asymmetric change profile with paracentral temporal thinnest values, and mid-peripheral nasal thickest values. Conclusions: The present study found a central corneal thinning induced by Ortho-k lenses in subjects with moderate myopia, only associated with a change in epithelial thickness, as well as mid-peripheral thickening, that seems to be mainly epithelial in origin. The authors also found a tendency of contact lens decentration toward temporal and inferior areas conditioning an asymmetric epithelial redistribution pattern.(AU)

Prevalence and prognostic meaning of interstitial lung abnormalities in remote CT scans of patients with interstitial lung disease treated with antifibrotic therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence and characteristics of interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) in CT scans performed prior to the initiation of antifibrotics in a series of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), and to identify characteristics apparent on early CT scans that could help to predict outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study. The original cohort consisted of 101 patients diagnosed with ILD and treated with antifibrotics in a tertiary hospital. Patients were included if they had a thoracic CT scan performed at least one year before initiation of therapy. They were classified radiologically in three groups: without ILA, with radiological ILA and extensive abnormalities. ILA were classified as subpleural fibrotic, subpleural non-fibrotic and non-subpleural. The initial scan and the latest CT scan performed before treatment were read for assessing progression. The relationship between CT findings of fibrosis and the radiological progression rate and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: We included 50 patients. Only 1 (2%) had a normal CT scan, 25 (50%) had extensive alterations and 24 (48%) had radiological criteria for ILA, a median of 98.2 months before initiation of antifibrotics, of them 18 (75%) had a subpleural fibrotic pattern. Significant bronchiectasis and obvious honeycombing in the lower zones were associated with shorter survival (p = 0.04). Obvious honeycombing in the lower zones was also significantly (p < 0.05) associated with a faster progression rate. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrotic ILAs are frequent in remote scans of patients with clinically relevant ILD, long before they require antifibrotics. Findings of traction bronchiectasis and honeycombing in the earliest scans, even in asymptomatic patients, are related to mortality and progression later on.

[[Translated article]]Epidemiological, Clinical, and Allergic Profile of Psoriatic Patients. Evaluation of the Spanish Registry of Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy (REIDAC).

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis whose clinical and topographic distribution requires differential diagnosis, or the possible association with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), requiring patch testing (PT) as part of the diagnostic procedure. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and allergic profile of patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of psoriasis undergoing PT and compare them with patients with a diagnosis of ACD at the end of the diagnostic process. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with data from REIDAC from 2018 through 2023 of selected patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis and/or ACD. RESULTS: A total of 11 502 patients were included, 513 of whom had been diagnosed with primary or secondary psoriasis, 3640 with ACD, and 108 with both diseases. Men were more predominant in the groups of patients with psoriasis, psoriasis + ACD, and lesions were more predominantly seen in the hands with little association with atopic factors vs the ACD group. The rate of positivity in PT to the 2022 Spanish battery of allergens was lower in the group with psoriasis only in 27% of the patients. The most common allergens found in the psoriasis group were also the most common ones found in the overall ACD population. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 36.2% of psoriatic patients tested positive in PT to the 2022 Spanish battery of allergens, which proved that this association is not uncommon. Overall, psoriatic patients had a higher mean age, were more predominantly men, and showed more hand involvement.

Comparing two vascular division techniques in laparoscopic varicocelectomy. A prospective study. / Comparación de dos técnicas de sección vascular en la varicocelectomía laparoscópica. Estudio prospectivo.

INTRODUCTION: Varicocele is the abnormal dilatation of the pampiniform plexus. It occurs in 15-20% of pre-adolescent/adult males. Varicocele diagnosis is important since it can induce testicular hypertrophy and fertility issues in adulthood. The objective of this study was to assess whether complications, including varicocele recurrence, depend on the vascular occlusion technique used -clipping + division vs. vascular sealer- in the laparoscopic Palomo technique used in our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal, prospective study was carried out from 2017 to 2021. Two therapeutic groups were created according to the vascular occlusion method used during laparoscopic varicocelectomy -clipping + division vs. vascular sealer. Patients were randomly allocated to the groups in a systematic alternating consecutive manner. Variables -age, varicocele grade according to the Dubin-Amelar classification, postoperative complications, follow-up, and varicocele recurrence- were analyzed according to the method employed. RESULTS: A total of 37 boys, with a mean age of 12 years (10-15 years) and a mean follow-up of 12 months, were studied. In 20 patients (54.1%), clipping + division was used, and in the remaining 17 (45.9%), the vascular sealer was employed. 24.3% had symptomatic Grade II varicocele and 75.7% had Grade III varicocele. 32.4% of the children had postoperative complications during follow-up. 29.7% of the patients had hydrocele following surgery -8 boys from the sealing group and 3 boys from the clipping group-, with 13.5% requiring re-intervention as a result of this. None of the patients had varicocele recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic Palomo technique is safe and effective, with good results in pediatric patients and few postoperative complications, regardless of the vascular occlusion device used. In our study, no statistically significant differences regarding the use of clipping or vascular sealer in this laparoscopic technique were found. However, further studies with a larger sample size are required to find potential differences.

INTRODUCCION: El varicocele es la dilatación anormal del plexo pampiniforme. Puede afectar al 15-20% de los varones preadolescentes-adultos. La importancia de su diagnóstico radica en que puede inducir hipotrofia testicular y problemas de fertilidad en la etapa adulta. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar si existe mayor índice de complicaciones, incluyendo la recurrencia del varicocele, dependiendo de la técnica de oclusión vascular utilizada: clip y sección o sellador vascular, en la técnica de Palomo laparoscópico en nuestro centro. MATERIAL Y METODOS: Estudio longitudinal prospectivo que se realiza de 2017 a 2021. Se crean dos grupos terapéuticos según el método de oclusión vascular utilizada durante la varicocelectomía laparoscópica: clip y sección o sellador vascular. Los pacientes son incluidos en un grupo mediante asignación sistemática consecutiva alternante. Se realiza el análisis de las variables: edad, grado de varicocele según la clasificación de Dubin-Amelar, complicaciones postquirúrgicas, seguimiento y recurrencia del varicocele, según el método empleado. RESULTADOS: Se intervinieron un total de 37 niños, con edad media de 12 años (10-15 años) y una media de seguimiento de 12 meses. En 20 pacientes (54,1%), se utilizó clip y sección, y en los 17 restantes (45,9%), sellador vascular. El 24,3% presentaba varicocele Grado II sintomático y el 75,7%, Grado III. El 32,4% de los niños presentó alguna complicación postquirúrgica durante el seguimiento. El 29,7% de los pacientes presentó hidrocele tras la intervención, perteneciendo 8 niños al grupo de sellado y 3 niños al de clipaje. El 13,5% de estos precisó reintervención por este motivo. Ningún paciente presentó recurrencia del varicocele. CONCLUSIONES: La técnica de Palomo laparoscópica es una técnica segura y efectiva que presenta buenos resultados en pacientes pediátricos, ya que presenta pocas complicaciones postquirúrgicas, independientemente del dispositivo de oclusión vascular que se utilice. En nuestro estudio, no se ha demostrado que existan diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto al uso de clip o sellador vascular en esta técnica laparoscópica. No obstante, es preciso realizar más estudios con mayor tamaño muestral para hallar posibles diferencias.

Comparación de dos técnicas de sección vascular en lavaricocelectomía laparoscópica. Estudio prospectivo / Comparing two vascular division techniques in laparoscopic varicocelectomy. A prospective study

Introducción: El varicocele es la dilatación anormal del plexopampiniforme. Puede afectar al 15-20% de los varones preadolescentes-adultos. La importancia de su diagnóstico radica en que puede inducirhipotrofia testicular y problemas de fertilidad en la etapa adulta. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar si existe mayor índice de complicaciones,incluyendo la recurrencia del varicocele, dependiendo de la técnica deoclusión vascular utilizada: clip y sección o sellador vascular, en latécnica de Palomo laparoscópico en nuestro centro.Material y métodos: Estudio longitudinal prospectivo que se realizade 2017 a 2021. Se crean dos grupos terapéuticos según el método deoclusión vascular utilizada durante la varicocelectomía laparoscópica:clip y sección o sellador vascular. Los pacientes son incluidos en ungrupo mediante asignación sistemática consecutiva alternante. Se realizael análisis de las variables: edad, grado de varicocele según la clasifica-ción de Dubin-Amelar, complicaciones postquirúrgicas, seguimiento yrecurrencia del varicocele, según el método empleado.Resultados: Se intervinieron un total de 37 niños, con edad mediade 12 años (10-15 años) y una media de seguimiento de 12 meses. En20 pacientes (54,1%), se utilizó clip y sección, y en los 17 restantes(45,9%), sellador vascular. El 24,3% presentaba varicocele Grado IIsintomático y el 75,7%, Grado III. El 32,4% de los niños presentó algunacomplicación postquirúrgica durante el seguimiento. El 29,7% de lospacientes presentó hidrocele tras la intervención, perteneciendo 8 niñosal grupo de sellado y 3 niños al de clipaje. El 13,5% de estos precisóreintervención por este motivo. Ningún paciente presentó recurrenciadel varicocele. Conclusiones: La técnica de Palomo laparoscópica es una técnicasegura y efectiva que presenta buenos resultados en pacientes pediátricos...(AU)

Introduction: Varicocele is the abnormal dilatation of the pampiniform plexus. It occurs in 15-20% of pre-adolescent/adult males.Varicocele diagnosis is important since it can induce testicular hyper-trophy and fertility issues in adulthood. The objective of this studywas to assess whether complications, including varicocele recurrence,depend on the vascular occlusion technique used –clipping + divisionvs. vascular sealer–in the laparoscopic Palomo technique used inour institution. Materials and methods: A longitudinal, prospective study wascarried out from 2017 to 2021. Two therapeutic groups were createdaccording to the vascular occlusion method used during laparoscopicvaricocelectomy –clipping + division vs. vascular sealer. Patients wererandomly allocated to the groups in a systematic alternating consecutivemanner. Variables –age, varicocele grade according to the Dubin-Amelarclassification, postoperative complications, follow-up, and varicocelerecurrence– were analyzed according to the method employed.Results: A total of 37 boys, with a mean age of 12 years (10-15years) and a mean follow-up of 12 months, were studied. In 20 patients (54.1%), clipping + division was used, and in the remaining 17(45.9%), the vascular sealer was employed. 24.3% had symptomaticGrade II varicocele and 75.7% had Grade III varicocele. 32.4% of thechildren had postoperative complications during follow-up. 29.7% ofthe patients had hydrocele following surgery –8 boys from the seal-ing group and 3 boys from the clipping group–, with 13.5% requiringre-intervention as a result of this. None of the patients had varicocelerecurrence. Conclusions: The laparoscopic Palomo technique is safe and ef-fective, with good results in pediatric patients and few postoperativecomplications, regardless of the vascular occlusion device used...(AU)

[Primary care and natriuretic peptides: design of a care process as a pathway to improve the diagnosis of heart failure]. / Atención primaria y péptidos natriuréticos: diseño de un proceso asistencial para la mejora en el diagnóstico de la insuficiencia cardiaca.

INTRODUCTION: There are few data about the optimal use of natriuretic peptides (NP) in the Primary Care (PC) setting. The aim to assess how, through a common coordinated PC-hospital care pathway, the use of NPs in patients with suspected heart failure (HF) is improved. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analytical, experimental, prospective, non-randomized study. An intervention group composed of 22 PC physicians from 2 health centers is provided with face-to-face training and a consensual protocol is attached with a cut-off point of NT-proBNP> 300 pg/mL as pathological. The control group is made up of the rest of PC physicians in the healthcare area. The aim is to compare the use and results of PN in both groups. Propensity analysis is performed so thar the patient populations with requested PN are comparable. RESULTS: From June 2021 to March 2022, NP was requested in 103 and 105 patients in the intervention/control groups. Both populations were similar, with equal HF risk. Symptomatology was present in 100% of intervention vs 41% of asymptomatic patients in the control group (p <0.001). ECG was performed in 100% vs 33.3%, p <0.001. Optimal NP indication in 76.7% vs 29.5%, p <0.001. In the intervention group more patients with NT-proBNP> 300 pg/mL are referred to cardiology consultations (76.6% vs 27.2%, p 0.001). CONCLUSION: The optimal indication for NP and its interpretation as a diagnostic tool for HF, in the PC setting seems not to be appropriate, but improvable with a coordinated and multidisciplinary intervention approach.

Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

INTRODUCTION: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is classified considering the neurophysiological and histological findings, the inheritance pattern and the underlying genetic defect. In recent years, with the advent of next generation sequencing, genetic complexity has increased exponentially, expanding the knowledge about disease pathways, and having an impact in clinical management. The aim of this guide is to offer recommendations for the diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment of this disease in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This consensus guideline has been developed by a multidisciplinary panel encompassing a broad group of professionals including neurologists, neuropediatricians, geneticists, rehabilitators, and orthopaedic surgeons. RECOMMENDATIONS: The diagnosis is based in the clinical characterization, usually presenting with a common phenotype. It should be followed by an appropriate neurophysiological study that allows for a correct classification, specific recommendations are established for the parameters that should be included. Genetic diagnosis must be approached in sequentially, once the PMP22 duplication has been ruled out if appropriate, a next generation sequencing should be considered taking into account the limitations of the available techniques. To date, there is no pharmacological treatment that modifies the course of the disease, but symptomatic management is important, as are the rehabilitation and orthopaedic considerations. The latter should be initiated early to identify and improve the patient's functional impairments, including individualised exercise guidelines, orthotic adaptation, and assessment of conservative surgeries such as tendon transpositions. The follow-up of patients with CMT is exclusively clinical, ancillary testing are not necessary in routine clinical practice.

Excision pathways for keratinocyte cancers diagnosed by teledermatology: a retrospective review.

Introduction The New Zealand population has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world. Hospital waiting lists for surgical excision of keratinocytic skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) are lengthy, and increasingly, excisions are undertaken in primary care. Teledermatology, in response to general practitioners' electronic referrals (e-referrals), can improve clinical communication between general practitioners and dermatologists. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate an excision pathway for keratinocytic cancers diagnosed by teledermatology. Methods A retrospective observational descriptive review of a 3-month cohort of primary care e-referrals was undertaken. Results Three hundred and fifty eight suspected keratinocytic cancers (KCs) were diagnosed by teledermatology; histology reports confirmed KC in 201 of 267 excisions (75%). The majority (77.2%) were excised by general practitioners an average of 25 days after the dermatologist's recommendation. The rest were excised by plastic surgeons in private (3.4%) or at a public hospital (19.5%) after an average of 40 or 134 days, respectively. Discussion E-referral pathways are now widely implemented. However, the ideal workflow for skin cancer management is unknown. We have demonstrated in New Zealand that surgery can be undertaken in primary care within a month of a teledermatology diagnosis and excision recommendation. Conclusion This study reports prompt excision of KCs by general practitioners after an e-referral and a teledermatology response.

The hyphal-specific toxin candidalysin promotes fungal gut commensalism.

The fungus Candida albicans frequently colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract, from which it can disseminate to cause systemic disease. This polymorphic species can transition between growing as single-celled yeast and as multicellular hyphae to adapt to its environment. The current dogma of C. albicans commensalism is that the yeast form is optimal for gut colonization, whereas hyphal cells are detrimental to colonization but critical for virulence1-3. Here, we reveal that this paradigm does not apply to multi-kingdom communities in which a complex interplay between fungal morphology and bacteria dictates C. albicans fitness. Thus, whereas yeast-locked cells outcompete wild-type cells when gut bacteria are absent or depleted by antibiotics, hyphae-competent wild-type cells outcompete yeast-locked cells in hosts with replete bacterial populations. This increased fitness of wild-type cells involves the production of hyphal-specific factors including the toxin candidalysin4,5, which promotes the establishment of colonization. At later time points, adaptive immunity is engaged, and intestinal immunoglobulin A preferentially selects against hyphal cells1,6. Hyphal morphotypes are thus under both positive and negative selective pressures in the gut. Our study further shows that candidalysin has a direct inhibitory effect on bacterial species, including limiting their metabolic output. We therefore propose that C. albicans has evolved hyphal-specific factors, including candidalysin, to better compete with bacterial species in the intestinal niche.

Effect of FeCl3 concentration in chemically enhanced primary treatment on the performance of a conventional wastewater treatment plant. A case study.

The effect of coagulant dosage in a chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) on the performance of a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) has been investigated. Lab-scale experiments simulations were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of coagulant addition on the primary settling performance. In these experiments, FeCl3 was used as coagulant. Later, the WWTP was theoretically simulated using a commercial software (WEST®) to evaluate the effect of coagulation/flocculation on the global system, based on the results obtained at lab-scale. According to these results, the CEPT modifies the organic matter balance in the WWTP, decreasing the contribution of readily (SS) and slowly (XS) biodegradable fractions of COD to the aerobic biological process up to 27.3% and 80.8%, respectively, for a dosage of FeCl3 of 24 mg L-1. Consequently, total suspended solids in the aerobic reactor and the secondary purged sludge decreased up to 33% and 13%, respectively. However, the influence on effluent quality was negligible. On the contrary, suspended solids concentration in the sludge to be treated by anaerobic digestion increased, mainly regarding the Ss and Xs fractions, which caused an 8.1% increase in biogas production potential, with approximately 60% of CH4 concentration.

Standard and Expanded Series Patch Testing Update by the Spanish Contact Dermatitis and Skin Allergy Research Group (GEIDAC). / Actualización de la batería estándar y batería ampliada de pruebas alérgicas de contacto por el Grupo Español de Investigación en Dermatitis de Contacto y Alergia Cutánea (GEIDAC).

After the meeting held by the Spanish Contact Dermatitis and Skin Allergy Research Group (GEIDAC) back in October 2021, changes were suggested to the Spanish standard series patch testing. Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2% pet.), textile dye mixt (6.6% pet.), linalool hydroperoxide (1% pet.), and limonene hydroperoxide (0.3% pet.) were, then, added to the series that agreed upon in 2016. Ethyldiamine and phenoxyethanol were excluded. Methyldibromoglutaronitrile, the mixture of sesquiterpene lactones, and hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene (Lyral) were alo added to the extended Spanish series of 2022.

Real-world Safety and Efficacy of Risankizumab in Psoriatic Patients: A Multicenter, Retrospective, and Not-interventional Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Risankizumab - a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the p19 subunit of IL-23 - has been recently approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Real-world data based on a representative pool of patients are currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the mid- and long-term safety and efficacy profile of risankizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the routine clinical practice. METHODS: This was a retrospective and multicenter study of consecutive psoriatic patients on risankizumab from April 2020 through November 2022. The primary endpoint was the number of patients who achieved a 100% improvement in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) (PASI100) on week 52. RESULTS: A total of 510 patients, 198 (38.8%) women and 312 (61.2%) men were included in the study. The mean age was 51.7±14.4 years. A total of 227 (44.5%) study participants were obese (body mass index [BMI] >30kg/m2). The mean baseline PASI score was 11.4±7.2, and the rate of patients who achieved PASI100 on week 52, 67.0%. Throughout the study follow-up, 21%, 50.0%, 59.0%, and 66% of the patients achieved PASI100 on weeks 4, 16, 24, and 40, respectively. The number of patients who achieved a PASI ≤2 was greater in the group with a BMI ≤30kg/m2 on weeks 4 (P=.04), 16 (P=.001), and 52 (P=.002). A statistically significantly greater number of patients achieved PASI100 in the treatment-naïve group on weeks 16 and 52 (P=.001 each, respectively). On week 16 a significantly lower number of participants achieved PASI100 in the group with psoriatic arthropathy (P=.04). Among the overall study sample, 22 (4.3%) patients reported some type of adverse event and 20 (3.9%) discontinued treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Risankizumab proved to be a safe and effective therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the routine clinical practice.

[Translated article] Drug Survival in Cyclosporine Treatment for Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Analysis of the Spanish Atopic Dermatitis Registry (BIOBADATOP).

BACKGROUND: The past 5 years have seen a proliferation of new treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD). We analyzed recent drug survival data for cyclosporine in this setting. Because the Spanish National Healthcare system requires patients with AD to be treated with cyclosporine before they can be prescribed other systemic treatments, drug survival for cyclosporine may be shorter than in other diseases. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Multicenter, observational, prospective cohort study using data from the Spanish Atopic Dermatitis Registry (BIOBADATOP). Data from the Spanish Registry of Systemic Treatments in Psoriasis (BIOBADADERM) were used to create a comparison cohort. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 130 patients with AD treated with cyclosporine (median drug survival, 1 year). Median cyclosporine survival in the psoriasis comparison group (150 patients) was 0.37 years. Drug survival was significantly longer in AD than in psoriasis (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Drug survival of cyclosporine in the BIOBADATOP registry is similar to that described in other series of patients with AD and longer than that observed in the BIOBADADERM psoriasis registry.

Prolame produces anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in middle-aged female rats with less uterotrophic effects than 17ß-estradiol.

Estrogen hormone replacement therapy (EHRT), improving women's life quality at menopause, reduces anxiety and depression symptoms associated with ovarian hormonal decline. However, its potential adverse effects, like thromboembolism and cancer risk, limit its use. Prolame is a synthetic 17ß-amino estrogen with antithrombotic actions that exerts anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects on young adult ovariectomized female rats. It is unknown if prolame's effects may be observed in age and endocrine conditions emulating menopause. This study aimed to identify the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of prolame and E2 (used as a reference estrogen treatment) in middle-aged female rats coursing with irregular cycles, in two different conditions: ovariectomized or gonadally intact. Results were compared with those from young adult ovariectomized rats. Prolame (60 or 120 µg/kg), 17ß-estradiol (E2, 40 or 80 µg/kg), or vehicle were chronically administered, and their effects were evaluated in the elevated plus-maze, defensive burying behavior test, open field test, and forced swimming test. Uterotrophic actions were estimated by uterine weight related to body weight. Prolame and E2 produced robust anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in young adult ovariectomized rats, but these effects were absent in gonadally intact middle-aged rats. Interestingly, only prolame induced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in middle-aged ovariectomized rats. Uterotrophic effects of prolame were weaker than E2 effects, notably in middle-aged females. Altogether, present data support the notion that prolame has the potential to be considered an EHRT with relevant psychoactive actions and with apparently lower adverse-side effects, especially in middle-aged populations.

Spinal gunshot wounds: A retrospective, multicenter, cohort study. / [Artículo traducido] Lesiones vertebrales por proyectil de arma de fuego: estudio de cohorte retrospectivo, multicéntrico.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with spinal gunshot wounds across Latin America. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective, multicenter cohort study of patients treated for gunshot wounds to the spine spanning 12 institutions across Latin America between January 2015 and January 2022. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, including the time of injury, initial assessment, characteristics of the vertebral gunshot injury, and treatment. RESULTS: Data on 423 patients with spinal gunshot injuries were extracted from institutions in Mexico (82%), Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Patients were predominantly male civilians in low-risk-of-violence professions, and of lower/middle social status, and a sizeable majority of gunshots were from low-energy firearms. Vertebral injuries mainly affected the thoracic and lumbar spine. Neurological injury was documented in 320 (76%) patients, with spinal cord injuries in 269 (63%). Treatment was largely conservative, with just 90 (21%) patients treated surgically, principally using posterior open midline approach to the spine (79; 87%). Injury features distinguishing surgical from non-surgical cases were neurological compromise (P = 0.004), canal compromise (P < 0.001), dirty wounds (P < 0.001), bullet or bone fragment remains in the spinal canal (P < 0.001) and injury pattern (P < 0.001). After a multivariate analysis through a binary logistic regression model, the aforementioned variables remained statistically significant except neurological compromise. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter study of spinal gunshot victims, most were treated non-surgically, despite neurological injury in 76% and spinal injury in 63% of patients.

Epidemiological, Clinical, and Allergic Profile of Psoriatic Patients. Evaluation of the Spanish Registry of Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy (REIDAC). / Perfil epidemiológico, clínico y alérgico en pacientes con psoriasis. Evaluación del Registro Español de Dermatitis de Contacto (REIDAC).

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis whose clinical and topographic distribution requires differential diagnosis, or the possible association with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), requiring patch testing (PT) as part of the diagnostic procedure. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and allergic profile of patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of psoriasis undergoing PT and compare them with patients with a diagnosis of ACD at the end of the diagnostic process. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with data from REIDAC from 2018 through 2023 of selected patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis and/or ACD. RESULTS: A total of 11 502 patients were included, 513 of whom had been diagnosed with primary or secondary psoriasis, 3640 with ACD, and 108 with both diseases. Men were more predominant in the groups of patients with psoriasis, psoriasis+ACD, and lesions were more predominantly seen in the hands with little association with atopic factors vs the ACD group. The rate of positivity in PT to the 2022 Spanish battery of allergens was lower in the group with psoriasis only in 27% of the patients. The most common allergens found in the psoriasis group were also the most common ones found in the overall ACD population. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 36.2% of psoriatic patients tested positive in PT to the 2022 Spanish battery of allergens, which proved that this association is not uncommon. Overall, psoriatic patients had a higher mean age, were more predominantly men, and showed more hand involvement.

Changes in benign prostatic hyperplasia management in Valencia: a real-world evidence analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: A training program was developed to increase general practitioners' engagement in the optimal management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in BPH management after the implementation of a training program. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This observational retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Aggregated data were analyzed in three evaluation periods (2010, 2012 and 2015), addressing quality indicators for diagnosis, treatment, and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 118 795 patients who presented any data points were included. All quality indicators (number of IPSS and PSA determinations) increased between the first period and the last. Combination (α-blocker + 5-ARI) therapy was increasingly prescribed during the study periods whereas the proportion of prescriptions for single-agent α-blocker showed no significant differences among the periods analyzed. However, the total number of patients eligible for combination therapy who actually received this treatment was low in all periods (7.5%, 17.9%, and 20.1%, in 2010, 2012, and 2015, respectively). The outcome indicators revealed a decrease in referrals to the urology unit mostly among newly diagnosed patients. Even though the proportion of patients who underwent BPH-related surgeries increased significantly from the first to the second period, the number of surgeries remained stable between the second and third periods. CONCLUSIONS: The training program had a generally positive impact on the management of BPH patients in PC, but the overall study period may be insufficient to show an effect on some outcome indicators such as the number of surgeries.