The effects of professional continuous glucose monitoring as an adjuvant educational tool for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The study objective was to evaluate the effects of professional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as an adjuvant educational tool for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: We conducted a three-month quasi-experimental study with an intervention (IGr) and control group (CGr) and ex-ante and ex-post evaluations in one family medicine clinic in Mexico City. Participants were T2D patients with HbA1c > 8% attending a comprehensive diabetes care program. In addition to the program, the IGr wore a professional CGM sensor (iPro™2) during the first 7 days of the study. Following this period, IGr participants had a medical consultation for the CGM results and treatment adjustments. Additionally, they received an educational session and personalized diet plan from a dietitian. After 3 months, the IGr again wore the CGM sensor for 1 week. The primary outcome variable was HbA1c level measured at baseline and 3 months after the CGM intervention. We analyzed the effect of the intervention on HbA1c levels by estimating the differences-in-differences treatment effect (Diff-in-Diff). Additionally, baseline and three-month CGM and dietary information were recorded for the IGr and analyzed using the Student's paired t-test and mixed-effects generalized linear models to control for patients' baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, 302 T2D patients participated in the study (IGr, n = 150; control, n = 152). At the end of the three-month follow-up, we observed 0.439 mean HbA1C difference between groups (p = 0.004), with an additional decrease in HbA1c levels in the IGr compared with the CGr (Diff-in-Diff HbA1c mean of - 0.481% points, p = 0.023). Moreover, compared with the baseline, the three-month CGM patterns showed a significant increase in the percentage of time in glucose range (+ 7.25; p = 0.011); a reduction in the percentage of time above 180 mg/dl (- 6.01; p = 0.045), a decrease in glycemic variability (- 3.94, p = 0.034); and improvements in dietary patterns, shown by a reduction in total caloric intake (- 197.66 Kcal/day; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Professional CGM contributes to reducing HbA1c levels and is an adjuvant educational tool that can improve glycemic control in patients with T2D. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04667728 . Registered 16/12/2020.

[Mucocele of the appendix: an unusual finding in a patient with ulcerative colitis]. / Mucocele apendicular: un hallazgo inusual en colitis ulcerativa.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) have an increased risk for the development of colorectal dysplasia and carcinoma. Although appendiceal inflammation occurs histologically in 40-86% of colectomy specimens from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), appendiceal neoplasms have been reported only infrequently, and the notion of a direct association between IBD and appendiceal neoplasia is speculative. CLINICAL CASE: A 54-year-old male patient developed abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea 3 years prior. Colonoscopy and biopsy established the diagnosis of UC (proctosigmoiditis). Disease activity was moderate at the beginning and the patient initially received medical treatment with mesalazine and prednisone. He was admitted to our clinic for right lower abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed tenderness on palpation at this site. Laboratory tests were normal (including serum carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 19-9). Colonoscopy showed intrinsic compression of the cecum. The patient underwent partial cecum resection and extirpation of the mucocele. He presented postsurgical ileus resolved with medical treatment. Final histological report revealed cystadenoma of the appendix. At the 20-month follow-up, the patient was in satisfactory condition. CONCLUSIONS: We present the eighth patient, to our knowledge, with a primary cystadenoma of the appendix and UC. Special attention should be paid to patients with extraordinary symptoms during follow-up, even in UC patients.

Multiple intestinal lipomatosis. Case report.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal lipomatosis is a rare disease with an incidence at autopsy ranging from 0.04 to 4.5%. Few cases have been reported in the medical literature. The condition is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic cases usually present as obstruction or, less frequently, as bleeding. Intestinal barium studies, ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) are useful diagnostic techniques. CLINICAL CASE: A 51-year-old male was evaluated for progressive abdominal pain, tachycardia, headache and nausea. One year before this examination, he was evaluated for gastrointestinal bleeding. Abdominal CT with contrast enhancement demonstrated multiple submucosal masses in stomach and small bowel. CT and barium examination features were typical of lipomas. No specific treatment, invasive procedures or surgery were performed for the asymptomatic intestinal lipomas. The patient has remained symptom-free for 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Benign tumors of the small bowel are relatively rare, with lipoma being the most common type. The case reported here is considered to be unusual because stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were affected. Lipomas are usually seen as smooth, nonulcerated filling defects. With these typical radiographic findings, preoperative diagnosis is possible keeping in mind this rare disease.

[Tuberculosis of the pancreas: an unsuspected cause of abdominal pain and fever]. / Tuberculosis pancreática: una causa insospechada de dolor abdominal y fiebre.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is frequently the form of presentation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection even in patients who have not developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Nevertheless, pancreatic affection is uncommon. Tuberculosis of the pancreas (TBP) is a clinical rarity and mimics pancreatic carcinoma both clinically and radiologically. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a 42-year-old man with a 5-day evolution of moderate abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant and fever and vomiting without diarrhea. The patient had no history of abdominal surgery. CT scan revealed a heterogeneously enhancing, multicystic structure in the pancreatic head. Due to suspicion of malignancy, a pancreatoduodenectomy was performed with pathological result of pancreatic tuberculosis. The patient was discharged on the 10th postoperative day without surgical complications. He died 10 months later of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. By that time he had a positive serum HIV antibodies test. CONCLUSIONS: TBP diagnosis can be missed or significantly delayed because it is often not suspected prior to laparotomy unless there is evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. TBP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a mass in the head of the pancreas. The response to early antituberculosis treatment is very effective.

Lipomatosis intestinal múltiple: informe de un caso / Multiple intestinal lipomatosis: case report

Introducción: La lipomatosis intestinal es una rara enfermedad con una incidencia en autopsias de 0.04 a 4.5 %. Pocos casos se han informado en la literatura médica. La condición es por lo general asintomática. Los casos sintomáticos se presentan con obstrucción o, con menor frecuencia, hemorragia. Los estudios con bario, ultrasonografía y tomografía computarizada son los procedimientos diagnósticos más comunes. Caso clínico: Hombre de 51 años de edad evaluado por dolor abdominal progresivo, taquicardia, cefalea y náusea. Fue estudiado un año antes por hemorragia gastrointestinal sin diagnóstico definitivo. La tomografía computarizada de abdomen con contraste demostró múltiples masas submucosas en estómago e intestino delgado. Las características del estudio con bario y tomografía computarizada fueron típicas de lipomatosis, por lo que no se realizaron procedimientos invasivos o quirúrgicos. El paciente se ha mantenido asintomático por un año. Conclusiones: Los tumores benignos del intestino delgado son relativamente raros, siendo el lipoma el tipo más común. El caso informado es inusual debido a la afección de estómago, duodeno, yeyuno e íleon. Los lipomas por lo general se presentan con superficie lisa y defectos de llenado no ulcerados. Con los hallazgos radiológicos típicos es posible hacer el diagnóstico preoperatorio si se considera esta rara enfermedad.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal lipomatosis is a rare disease with an incidence at autopsy ranging from 0.04 to 4.5%. Few cases have been reported in the medical literature. The condition is usually asymptomatic. Symptomatic cases usually present as obstruction or, less frequently, as bleeding. Intestinal barium studies, ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) are useful diagnostic techniques. CLINICAL CASE: A 51-year-old male was evaluated for progressive abdominal pain, tachycardia, headache and nausea. One year before this examination, he was evaluated for gastrointestinal bleeding. Abdominal CT with contrast enhancement demonstrated multiple submucosal masses in stomach and small bowel. CT and barium examination features were typical of lipomas. No specific treatment, invasive procedures or surgery were performed for the asymptomatic intestinal lipomas. The patient has remained symptom-free for 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Benign tumors of the small bowel are relatively rare, with lipoma being the most common type. The case reported here is considered to be unusual because stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were affected. Lipomas are usually seen as smooth, nonulcerated filling defects. With these typical radiographic findings, preoperative diagnosis is possible keeping in mind this rare disease.