Hepato-splenic distribution of 99Tcm-phytate and hepato-enteric distribution of 99Tcm-DISIDA in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage.

The hepato-enteric distribution of 99Tcm-labelled DISIDA and the hepato-splenic distribution of 99Tcm-labelled phytate were studied in controls and in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage. The test group animals showed a diminished excretion of DISIDA to intestine with retention of this tracer in the liver and an increased splenic uptake of phytate. No changes in the hepatic uptake of phytate were found. The joint evaluation of both tracers in the study of diffuse liver disease is discussed.

[Diffuse lung involvement in primary amyloidosis as an infrequent cause of interstitial lung disease. Clinical case]. / Amiloidosis sistémica primaria con compromiso pulmonar difuso. Causa infrecuente de enfermedad intersticial. Caso clínico.

We report a 50 years old female, admitted to the hospital due to malaise lasting 7 months, with diffuse bilateral lung infiltrates and a progressive respiratory insufficiency, dying one month after admission. A transbronchial biopsy disclosed an extensive amyloid infiltration. The necropsy confirmed this finding and showed a systemic primary amyloidosis associated to a multiple myeloma.

[Anal tuberculosis. Report of a case]. / Tuberculosis anal. Caso clínico.

We report a 70 years old man presenting with malaise, anal pain and progressive defecation difficulty, with a decrease in stool caliber. The patient had no contact or past history of tuberculosis. On physical examination, there was an ulcerated anal lesion with purulent discharge, that produced an anal stenosis. The patient had an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 108 mm/h, images of active tuberculosis in both apical pulmonary lobes and a chronic tuberculous inflammation with caseation and epithelioid tubercles was observed in a biopsy of the anal lesion. Treatment with antituberculous drugs produced a categorical remission of anal lesions and after five months of therapy the patient is well.

[Mutations of the p53 suppressor gene in gastric adenocarcinoma]. / Mutaciones del gen supresor de tumor p53 en adenocarcinoma gástrico.

BACKGROUND: We have shown numeric alterations such as hyperploidy and hypoploidy with loss of chromosome 17 in primary gastric cancer. This chromosome maps p53 suppressor gene that induces the transcription of genes related to cellular cycle control, DNA synthesis and repair, cellular differentiation and apoptosis. AIM: To analyze, at a molecular level, the possible alterations of p53 suppressor gene in samples of gastric cancer and non tumoral mucosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Tissue samples of gastric carcinoma and non tumoral gastric mucosa coming from 26 patients subjected to a total gastrectomy were analyzed. The mutation of p53 suppressor gene exons 7 to 9 were determined using a conformational polymorphism analysis in single strands of the gene and indirect sequencing in some cases. RESULTS: Alterations in p53 gene were found in 77% of tumoral and 19% of non tumoral samples. T insertions in codons 260, 317 and 321, G insertion in codon 328 and G-T transvertion in codon 302 were found. Aminoacid sequence analysis of p53 protein obtained with sequencing data showed that T insertion in codon 260 could translate three erroneous aminoacids after the mutation and produce a truncated protein due to the creation of a stop codon. No associations between alterations of p53 gene and clinical or pathological variables such as age, sex, tumor localization, histological type and presence of lymph node metastases were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Mutations of p53 suppressor gene are frequent in gastric carcinoma.

[Rheumatoid arthritis. Therapeutic efficacy of methotrexate and its hepatotoxic effects]. / Artritis reumatoídea. Eficacia terapéutica del metotrexate y sus efectos hepatotoxicos.

The efficacy and toxicity (specially hepatic) of methotrexate in low doses (7.5 mg/week) was prospectively assessed in 21 patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to treatment with gold or penicillamine, during two years. Three patients were prematurely withdrawn from the protocol. A fast and significant improvement of RA was observed during the first six months, which tapered thereafter. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate decreased from 51.5 +/- 20.1 to 27.7 +/- 11.5 mm/h (p < 0.05). A rise in serum transaminases, always raising to less than twice the normal value, was observed in 75% of patients in some moment of the follow up. Hepatic scintigraphy did not show significant changes. Hepatic histological alterations were mild and no changes were observed after two years of treatment. The main secondary effects were moderate and transitory gastrointestinal and hematological disturbances. The prednisone dose was decreased from 6.8 +/- 2.6 to 4.8 +/- 1.9 mg/day at twelve months. There were no withdrawals due to drug toxicity. It is concluded that methotrexate proved to be efficacious in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis refractory to conventional treatments. Its secondary effects, although frequent, were discrete and transitory and there were no changes in liver histology.

Tumores odontogenicos: analisis de 20 anos de experiencia en dos servicios de anatomia patologica / Odontogenic tumors: analysis of 20 years' experience in two pathology departments

Se reune una casuistica consistente en 157 pacientes portadores de tumores odontogenicos cuyas biopsias fueron informadas en los Servicios de Anatomia Patologica del Hospital San Juan de Dios y de la Escuela Dental, en un lapso comprendido entre 1958 y 1978. Se concluye que los neoplasmas odontogenicos constituyen el 6,93 por ciento de las lesiones centrales de los maxilares, siendo los odontomas las lesiones mas frecuentes (30,60%), seguidos de los cementomas (26,11%) y los ameloblastomas (20,38%). Las caracteristicas propias de cada lesion concuerdan con los datos que aporta la literatura. Se discuten las conductas quirurgicas frente al ameloblastoma y al mixoma, estimandose que la eliminacion del tumor, junto con un margen de seguridad, constituye la terapeutica de eleccion. Se enfatiza en la importancia que tiene para el clinico la interpretacion de los signos histologicos de un determinado tumor, antes de planificar el tratamiento. Finalmente, se destaca el hecho de que la practica de una mejor cirugia depende de una serie de factores, que deben ser adecuadamente ponderados por el operador

Embarazo tubario bilateral sucesivo.Caso clinico. / Bilateral successive tubal pregnancy. Clinical case

1. Se presenta el caso clinico de un embarazo tubario bilateral sucesivo: de tres y medio meses en una trompa y reciente en la opuesta. 2. Se comenta la rareza del caso. No hay descripcion de otro similar en la bibliografia nacional y en la extranjera solo hemos tenido acceso a la referencia de tres casos con cierta similitud, desde 1918. 3. Se analiza, ademas, la frecuencia global de embarazos ectopicos, la frecuencia de embarazo tubario unilateral y la escasa frecuencia de embarazos tubarios bilaterales simultaneos. 4. Se comentan algunos de los factores etiologicos de los embarazos tubarios, los que explicarian tanto la simultaneidad como la posibilidad de repeticion del cuadro en una misma paciente. 5. Se discuten algunos de los aspectos de la evolucion del embarazo tubario cronico. 6. Se analizam las tendencias clinicas actuales de la morbilidad y mortalidad de los embarazos ectopicos, las que no parecen haberse modificado a traves del tiempo. 7. Finalmente, se plantean algunos de los elementos que podrian contribuir a mejorar el porvenir gineco-obstetrico de estos casos