¿Cómo es la calidad de vida reportada por los estudiantes de Medicina? / Quality of life scores among 411 medical students

Background: The high academic burden may hamper the quality of life of medical students. Aim: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) for medical students attending a Chilean university. Material and Methods: Four hundred eleven medical students aged 22 ± 2 years (51% women), studying in Santiago, Chile, answered online a validated Spanish version of the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life survey (scored from 0 to 100). Overall scores were assessed for the questionnaire domains Physical health, Psychological health, Interpersonal relationships, and Environment. Results: The global scores were 65.1 for Physical health, 63.1 for Psychological health, 61.3 for Interpersonal relationships and 67.2 for Environment. Students in clinical practice, females, those with sedentary behaviors and consuming modafinil had lower Physical health scores. Students coming from outside Santiago, with sedentary behaviors and who consumed modafinil had poorer Psychological health scores. Students coming from outside Santiago, males and those with sedentary behaviors had Lower Interpersonal relationship scores. Environment scores were also lower among students who were sedentary or from outside Santiago. Conclusions: The variables that had a greater negative impact in the quality of life of these students were the transition from theoretical courses to clinical practice, being from outside Santiago, being overweight or obese and consuming modafinil. Students that were physically active had better quality of life scores.

Xantomatosis cerebrotendínea: una causa de aumento de volumen bilateral del tendón de Aquiles: caso clínico / Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis: report of one case

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is an inherited autosomal recessive disease caused by a mutation in the gene for the sterol 27-hydroxylase enzyme, which determines the accumulation of plasmatic cholestanol in various tissues. The natural history of this disease is characterized by chronic diarrhea beginning in childhood, cataract in youth, tendinous xanthomas in adulthood and later progressive neurological dysfunction manifested as dementia, psychiatric disorders, cerebellar, pyramidal or extra pyramidal signs or seizures. We report a 39 year-old male with a history of diarrhea during childhood and bilateral cataracts requiring surgery at 20 years of age, who evolves later with psychiatric disorders and bilateral increased volume in Achules tendons. High levels of plasmatic cholestanol and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of this disease.

Síndrome de Horner pediátrico: análisis de 5 casos / Horner Syndrome: 5 case reports

Introducción: El síndrome de Horner (SH) u oculosimpaticoparesia es causado por la interrupción de la vía simpática (VS) que va desde el cerebro hasta el ojo. Los signos clínicos son miosis, ptosis, enoftalmos, heterocromía del iris y hemianhidrosis facial ipsilateral, en su forma completa. Generalmente es benigno pero la proximidad arterias carotídeas, órganos torácicos y cerebro nos obliga a descartar patologías potencialmente riesgosas. Objetivo: Describir la utilidad de la historia clínica y el examen neurológico en la evaluación de la etiología y localización de la lesión en el SH. Pacientes y Método: 5 pacientes de sexo masculino entre 2-72 meses edad controlados en Neurología infantil de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile entre los años 2003-2004. Resultados: Según tiempo de aparición, 4 casos fueron congénitos y 1 caso adquirido. Los signos neurológicos acompañantes clasificaban los casos como SH periférico (4) y SH central (1). La hemianhidrosis clasificaban 3 casos como preganglionares y dos postganglionares Conclusión: En niños con SH la anamnesis, el análisis de la signología propia y asociada del SH nos ayudan a localizar la lesión y reducen una extensa evaluación sistémica.