[Morgagni hernia mimicking intrathoracic lipomatous tumor]. / Hérnia de Morgagni mimetizando lipoma intratorácico.

Morgagni hernia is the rarest type of diaphragmatic hernia, accounting for 2% of all cases. It consists in the thoracic protrusion of fat and/or abdominal viscera through a congenital defect in a retro or parasternal position. The clinical importance of this pathological entity is associated with the fact that it can be asymptomatic, mimicking other diseases, such as a large intrathoracic lipoma, as it happened in the case presented here. Incorrect diagnosis can cause catastrophic complications during surgery.

Diagnostic value of surgical lung biopsy: comparison with clinical and radiological diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine overall and disease-related accuracy of the clinical/imagiological evaluation for pulmonary infiltrates of unknown aetiology, compared with the pathological result of the surgical lung biopsy (SLB) and to evaluate the need for the latter in this setting. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the experiences of SLB in 366 consecutive patients during the past 5 years. The presumptive diagnosis was based on clinical, imagiological and non-invasive or minimally invasive diagnostic procedures and compared with the gold standard of histological diagnosis by SLB. We considered five major pathological groups: diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), primitive neoplasms, metastases, infectious disease and other lesions. Patients with previous histological diagnosis were excluded. RESULTS: In 56.0% of patients (n=205) clinical evaluation reached a correct diagnosis, in 42.6% a new diagnosis was established (n=156) by the SLB, which was inconclusive in 1.4% (n=5). The pre-test probability for each disease was 85% for DPLD, 75% for infectious disease, 64% for primitive neoplasms and 60% for metastases. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for the clinical/radiological diagnosis were 70%, 90%, 62% and 92%, respectively. For DPLD: 67%, 90%, 76% and 85%; primitive neoplasms: 47%, 90%, 46% and 90%; metastases: 99%, 79%, 60% and 99%; infectious disease 38%, 98%, 53% and 96%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high sensitivity and specificity of the clinical and imagiological diagnosis, the positive predictive value was low, particularly in the malignancy group. SLB should be performed in pulmonary infiltrates of unknown aetiology because the clinical/imagiological assessment missed and/or misdiagnosed an important number of patients.

[Pleomorphic adenoma of the trachea. Case report]. / Adenoma pleomórfico da traqueia. Caso clínico.

The authors present a case of a pleomorphic adenoma of the trachea, diagnosed during the clinical evaluation of a suspected COPD or lung cancer in a heavy smoker patient with a positive family history of oncologic diseases. The patient underwent segmental resection of the trachea with complete excision of the tumour, and a good prognosis is anticipated.

Surgical resection of lung metastases from epithelial tumors.

BACKGROUND: One of the main characteristics of malignant tumors is the capability to disseminate, giving rise to local or distant metastases. Pulmonary metastases occur in almost 30% of all oncology patients, and secondary lung tumors are more frequent than primary ones. Surgical resection of metastases is now a well-established procedure, but the results vary with the histologic type of the primary tumor. We wished to identify factors affecting late survival after pulmonary metastasectomy for epithelial tumors. METHODS: We have reviewed retrospectively data for 78 patients who underwent 101 curative resections of epithelial pulmonary metastases between January 1988 and December 2000 at our department. Potential prognostic factors affecting late survival, namely histology of the primary tumor, disease-free interval, number and size of resected lung metastases, involvement of lymph nodes, use of nonsurgical adjuvant therapy, and relapse of pulmonary metastases, were investigated. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality, and the postoperative course was uneventful in 91.1% of the procedures. The mean disease-free interval was 48.2 +/- 59.8 months, and the mean follow-up after the first pulmonary metastasectomy was 40.8 +/- 31.5 months. Mean overall survival was 81.0 +/- 10.0 months, and 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 47.4% and 37.7%, respectively. By univariate and multivariate analyses, the disease-free interval and the prognostic grouping system proposed by the International Registry of Lung Metastases were found to significantly influence the long-term survival. Presence of symptoms also showed an important influence. CONCLUSIONS: Resection of epithelial pulmonary metastases is safe and effective, and is associated with very low perioperative morbidity and mortality and a reasonable 5-year and 10-year survival. In the present study, the disease-free interval influenced significantly the long-term survival. Our results did not differ significantly from (and in many cases compared favorably with) those described in the literature.

Staged carotid and coronary surgery for concomitant carotid and coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that staged, consecutive, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are safe, perhaps preferable, alternative for the treatment of patients with severe carotid and coronary artery disease. METHODS: During an 8-year period ending December 1999, 77 (2.1%) of 3633 consecutive patients who were referred for isolated coronary surgery were found to have significant carotid disease and underwent CEA, and subsequently, CABG. The mean age was 65.2 +/- 5.9 years and 66 (85.7%) were males. The majority (84.4%) had triple vessel and 19.4% had left main disease. Carotid disease was unilateral in 71 patients (92.2%) and bilateral in six (7.8%), and 57 (74.0%) were neurologically asymptomatic. Only obstructions >70% were considered for endarterectomy. RESULTS: Eighty-three isolated CEAs were performed with direct clamping of the artery (mean 20.1 +/- 5.9 min) in all but one. There were no deaths. There were two strokes (2.4%) and three (3.6%) myocardial infarctions (MI). The mean admission time was 6.0 +/- 3.5 days. The staging interval was 32.4 days. During coronary surgery, a mean of 2.9 coronary grafts/patient was performed and all but one patient received at least one IMA graft. One patient (1.3%) died. There were two cases (2.6%) of MI and three patients (3.9%) had a stroke. Hence, the overall rates of perioperative mortality, MI and stroke were 1.3, 6.3 and 6.3%, respectively. The mean admission time was 8.3 +/- 6.0 days. CONCLUSIONS: Staging of carotid and coronary operations resulted in low global perioperative mortality and morbidity rates in these high-risk patients and is a good alternative therapeutic option.

Aortic dissection surgery: experience of 78 cases.

From May 1990 to January 2001, 78 patients underwent surgery for aortic dissection, 68 (87%) of type A. Presentation was acute in 55 patients (71%). For type A dissection, in-hospital mortality was 13% (9 patients) and late mortality was 16%. For type B dissection, in-hospital and late mortality were both 30% (3 patients). The follow-up was complete and medical and imaging controls were performed periodically. Computerized axial tomography has shown persistence of distal aortic dissection in 18 patients, one of whom maintained dissection of the supraaortic trunks with false lumen thrombosis. Six patients maintained signs of dissection in the thoracic and abdominal aorta with patent false lumen. In another eight patients the false lumen was thrombosed. In 3 cases the dissection was located in the abdominal aorta. Two patients developed pseudoaneurysms of the thoracic aorta, one of whom was reoperated due to symptoms of dysphagia and chest pain, with angiographic signs of probable rupture of the aorta. Periodic imaging monitoring is essential, as it allows assessment of the extent of residual aortic disease and its evolution, with early detection of possible complications. This will enable prompt and safe action in those patients who may benefit from reoperation.

Los odontomas y sus implicancias / Odontomas and their implications

La Organización Mundial de la Salud clasifica los odontomas como tumores odontogénicos benignos compuestos de epitelio odontogénico y ectomesénquima odontogénico con formación de tejido duro dental. Los odontomas, por definición, son lesiones habitualmente hamartomatosas que suelen encontrarse sobre dientes no erupcionados, compuestas de esmalte, dentina, pulpa y cemento en formas reconocibles de dientes (odontoma compuesto) o bien como una masa nudosa sólida (odontoma complejo). Algunos tumores constituyen una combinación de ambos tipos (es decir, no solo contienen estructuras múltiples de aspecto similar a un diente, sino también masas calcificadas de tejido dental dispuestas al azar). Estas lesiones se denominan odontomas complejos-compuestos. Otro tipo, el fibroodontoma ameloblástico, es un tumor infrecuente que contiene los componentes tisulares blandos del fibroma ameloblástico y los componentes de tejido duro del odontoma complejo (AU)

The World Health Organization classifies odontomas as a benign odontogenic tumor composed of odontogenic epithelium and odontogenic ectomesenchyma with dental hard tissue formation. Odontomas, by definition, are usually hamartomatous lesions, frequently found on unerupted teeth, composed of enamel, dentin, pulp and cement in recognizable forms of teeth (compound) or a solid knotty mass (complex). Some tumors constitute a combination of both types (i.e., they not only contain multiple structures similar in appearance to a tooth, but also calcified masses of dental tissue arranged at random). These lesions are called complex-compound odontomas. Another type, the ameloblastic fibro-odontoma, is an infrequent tumor that contains the soft tissue components of the ameloblastic fibroma and the hard tissue components of the complex odontoma (AU)

Lung metastases from colorectal cancer: surgical resection and prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse our experience with excision of lung metastases from colorectal carcinoma (CRC), and to evaluate clinically relevant prognostic factors, identifying the cluster of patients who would benefit from this procedure. METHODS: Sixty-one patients, 42 men (69%), with primary CRC who underwent 94 curative resections of pulmonary metastases were retrospectively reviewed. Age was 30-80 years (mean 61.2+/-15). Population was analysed for age, sex, disease-free interval (DFI), prethoracotomy carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, location and histology of primary tumour, number of lung lesions (and size of largest resected metastasis), type of lung resection, nodal involvement (hilar/mediastinal), use of adjuvant treatment, morbid-mortality and immediate and follow-up survival. RESULTS: Mean DFI was 29+/-22 months (range 5-132 months). There was no hospital mortality and significant morbidity occurred in five patients (8.2%). Mean follow-up was 39+/-4 months (range 4-173 months). Mean overall survival and disease-free survival were 67+/-16 months and 52+/-6 months, respectively. Three-, 5- and 10-year survival rates from date of primary colorectal resection were 83%, 71% and 43%, respectively. Three-, 5- and 10-year survival rates from date of lung resection were 61%, 48% and 11%, respectively. Five-year survival was 57% in patients with normal prethoracotomy CEA levels and 18% for those with high levels (>5 ng/ml) (p=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary metastasectomy has potential survival benefit for patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Low morbidity and mortality rates, contrasting with lack of any other effective therapy, justify aggressive surgical management. Single deposits, DFI >36 months and normal prethoracotomy serum CEA were significant independent prognostic factors.

Diaphragmmatic eventration: long-term follow-up and results of open-chest plicature.

OBJECTIVE: Diaphragmmatic eventration is a relatively uncommon entity with a simple surgical correction technique--plication of the diaphragm. This study aims to assess the clinical and ventilatory impact of this technique. MATERIALS: From April 1988 to February 2007, we operated on 20 patients (12 men) with diaphragmmatic eventration using the postero-lateral approach and correction by radial plication. The mean age of the patients studied was 56.3+/-15.6 years (range: 13-74 years). A traumatic cause was identified in 13 patients; one patient had a congenital cause and the remainder were of idiopathic origin. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arterial hypertension were present in one-half of the study group, while diabetes mellitus was present in three patients. Dyspnoea was the most common complaint in 75% of the patients, and thoracic pain was present in 25%. The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and vital capacity (VC) were 66.2+/-15.3% and 70.4+/-16% of the predicted values, respectively. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality. Apart from a patient with moderate/severe pain and another who had pneumonia, there were no other important perioperative complications. Average drainage time was 3.3+/-1.6 days (range: 2-7 days). Hospitalisation time was 6.2+/-1.6 days (5-10 days). Follow-up was complete, for a mean of 59.6+/-55.1 months (4-206 months). There were three late deaths (one sudden, one stroke and one trauma). Eight of the 17 survivors (47%) are asymptomatic. According to the MRC/ATS grading system, the dyspnoea score was 2.06+/-0.97 preoperatively and 1.06+/-1.14 postoperatively (p=0.007). At follow-up, the FEV(1) was 76.1+/-20.1% and the VC was 78.4+/-17.3% (p>0.1). Two patients had chronic pain. CONCLUSION: Plication of the diaphragm is a safe and efficient procedure. Most patients experienced significant clinical improvement with enhancement of the FEV(1) and VC. Chronic surgical pain still remains a potential problem with the classical approach.

Mortality risk prediction in coronary surgery: a locally developed model outperforms external risk models.

This study aimed at assessing the performance of three external risk-adjusted models - logistic EuroSCORE, Parsonnet score and Ontario Province Risk (OPR) score - in predicting in-hospital mortality in patients submitted to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and to develop a local risk-score model. Data on 4567 patients who underwent isolated CABG (1992-2001) were extracted from our clinical database. Hospital mortality was 0.96% (44 patients). For the three external systems, observed and predicted mortalities were compared, and discrimination and calibration were assessed. A local risk model was developed and validated by means of logistic regression and bootstrap analysis. The EuroSCORE predicted a mortality of 2.34% (P<0.001 vs. observed), the Parsonnet 4.43% (P<0.0001) and the OPR 1.66% (P<0.005). All models overestimated mortality significantly in almost all tertile risk groups. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) for EuroSCORE, Parsonnet and OPR were 0.754, 0.664 and 0.683, respectively. The local model exhibited good calibration and discrimination AUC, 0.752. In conclusion, the three risk-score systems analyzed do not accurately predict in-hospital mortality in our coronary surgery patients; hence their use for risk prediction may not be appropriate in our population. We developed a risk-prediction model that can be used as an instrument to provide accurate information about the risk of in-hospital mortality in our patient population.

Marketing en odontología / Marketing in dentistry

Los cambios sutanciales, tanto técnicos como sociales, que ha desarrollado la odontología en losúltimos cuarenta años, colocan al odontólogo actual -ya sea general o especialista- antes nuevos desafíos y competencias. Muchas premisas deberían ser modificadas a fin de lograr una mejor inserción laboral y asegurarse un éxito sostenido. Algunas de las herramientas de marketing utilizadas exitosamente en el mundo de los negocios pueden ser aplicadas para el cuidado de la salud oral y, al mismo tiempo, para atraer a potenciales clientes, que serían nuestros pacientes. (AU)

Marketing en odontología / Marketing in dentistry

Los cambios sutanciales, tanto técnicos como sociales, que ha desarrollado la odontología en losúltimos cuarenta años, colocan al odontólogo actual -ya sea general o especialista- antes nuevos desafíos y competencias. Muchas premisas deberían ser modificadas a fin de lograr una mejor inserción laboral y asegurarse un éxito sostenido. Algunas de las herramientas de marketing utilizadas exitosamente en el mundo de los negocios pueden ser aplicadas para el cuidado de la salud oral y, al mismo tiempo, para atraer a potenciales clientes, que serían nuestros pacientes.

Intoxicaciones agudas graves en un servicio de medicina intensiva (1986-1997) / Severe acute intoxications treated in an intensive care unit over a (1986-1997)

Fundamento: Conocer la epidemiología de las intoxicaciones agudas graves en un servicio de medicina intensiva y evaluar el pronóstico de la PCR y mortalidad asociada a los distintos tóxicos. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo realizado en el servicio de medicina intensiva polivalente de 10 camas, ubicado en un Hospital General de adultos. Período de estudio 12 años. Revisión de las historias clínicas de las personas ingresadas en el servicio de medicina intensiva por intoxicaciones agudas graves. Se recogieron datos demográficos, existencia de PCR al ingreso, necesidad de VM, complicaciones de las intoxicaciones agudas graves y mortalidad de la serie. Se realizó un análisis global y por año de estudio. El tratamiento estadístico de los datos se realizó con el paquete SPSS mediante la "t" de Student o la "chi" cuadrado, considerando valores significativos si p<0,05.Resultados: Se han incluido 233 sujetos, de los que 130 fueron varones. La estancia media fue de 4 días. El 63 por ciento de los pacientes fueron menores de 40 años (p<0,05). La intoxicación más frecuente fue la medicamentosa debida a un solo producto (72 por ciento). La supervivencia tras la PCR fue del 40 por ciento (4/10). La mortalidad global se situó en el 5,6 por ciento (n=13), habiendo precisado el 92 por ciento de los sujetos que posteriormente murieron, VM en algún momento de su ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Conclusiones: En nuestro medio, la intoxicación más frecuente es la medicamentosa. La mortalidad se muestra dependiente del carácter de voluntariedad, pero independiente del tipo de tóxico (medicamentoso o no). La PCR asociada a las intoxicaciones agudas graves tiene, en nuestra serie, un mejor pronostico que la asociada a otras patologías. La VM asociada a las intoxicaciones agudas graves tiene una mortalidad baja (15,7 por ciento) (AU)

Analgesia postoperatoria con buprenorfina en aplicación preanestésica / Postoperative analgesia with buprenorphine applied preoperatively

El presente estudio tiene por objeto evaluar el dolor postquirúrgico, por medio de la Escala Visual Análoga, utilizando la buprenorfina como analgésico durante el transanestésico. Se estudiaron 30 pacientes del sexo femenino, con edades entre 20 y 60 años, ASA I,II,III, para cirugía electiva y de urgencia, asignados al azar a uno de los dos grupos de 15 pacientes. En el grupo A la medicación preanestésica fue buprenorfina, mientras que el grupo B fue con placebo (Solución fisiológica al 0.9 por ciento). El mantenimiento de la anestesia y la medicación complementaria fue en ambos grupos con Halotano. Se observó que en el grupo A, la concentración Alveolar Mínima del halogenado disminuyó hasta un 50 por ciento, se obtuvo una gran estabilidad hemodinámica, tanto en el transanestésico, como en el postquirúrgico (primeras 6 hrs.), no provocando disminución en la saturación de oxígeno en los pacientes de este grupo, y se obtuvo analgesia satisfactoria (leve a moderada), por lo menos durante las primeras 6 horas. Se consluye que la buprenorfina ofrece además de una analgesia postoperatoria adecuada, una mejor estabilidad hemodinámica en el transoperatorio