Magnetic resonance angiography and transcranial Doppler ultrasound findings in patients with a clinical diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the findings of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in patients with a clinical diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI). METHOD: From our outpatient neurotology clinic, we selected patients (using the criteria proposed by Grad and Baloh) with a clinical diagnosis of VBI. We excluded patients with any definite cause for vestibular symptoms, a noncontrolled metabolic disease or any contraindication to MRA or TCD. The patients in the study group were sex- and age-matched with subjects who did not have vestibular symptoms (control group). Our final group of patients included 24 patients (study, n=12; control, n=12). RESULTS: The MRA results did not demonstrate significant differences in the findings between our study and control groups. TCD demonstrated that the systolic pulse velocity of the right middle cerebral artery, end diastolic velocity of the basilar artery, pulsatility index (PI) of the left middle cerebral artery, PI of the right middle cerebral artery, and PI of the basilar artery were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group, suggesting abnormalities affecting the microcirculation of patients with a clinical diagnosis of VBI compared with controls. CONCLUSION: MRA failed to reveal abnormalities in patients with a clinical diagnosis of VBI compared with controls. The PI of the basilar artery, measured using TCD, demonstrated high sensitivity (91%) and specificity (91%) for detecting clinically diagnosed VBI.

Prevalência de dermatoses em idosos residentes em instituição de longa permanência / Prevalence of dermatoses in residents of institutions for the elderly

OBJETIVOS: Determinar a prevalência das afecções dermatológicas em 75 idosos residentes em instituição de longa permanência na cidade de Santos-SP, e confrontar os achados com revisão da literatura. MÉTODOS: Setenta e cinco idosos foram submetidos a exame dermatológico. Com os dados obtidos calculou-se a prevalência, o número médio por paciente e a freqüência de dermatoses. Foi ainda analisado a distribuição nos subgrupos sexo, raça, faixa etária e nos subgrupos principais de dermatoses. RESULTADOS: O número total de dermatoses diagnosticadas foi 280, o número médio por paciente foi 3,73 e o número total de tipos de dermatoses foi 32. A prevalência das principais dermatoses encontradas foi: melanose solar (53,3 por cento), queratose seborréica (46,6 por cento), onicomicose (37,3 por cento), nevo rubi (33,3 por cento), púrpura senil (29,3 por cento), xerose (14,6 por cento), escabiose (12,0 por cento) e neoplasia maligna (1,3 por cento). A distribuição das dermatoses foi 70 por cento (IC95 por cento: 59 por cento a 81 por cento) maior no sexo feminino do que no masculino. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da pequena casuística, os dados obtidos são compatíveis com os poucos relatos disponíveis na literatura. Este estudo de prevalência definiu a distribuição de dermatoses em uma fração da população de idosos. Entretanto, os dados agregados de casuísticas subseqüentes podem permitir tornar os dados mais precisos, cuja relevância é indiscutível na orientação de medidas de saúde individual e coletiva.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dermatoses in 75 elderly residents in an institution of long permanence in the city of Santos, and to compare findings with those in literature. METHODS: Seventy five healthy elderly persons were submitted to a dermatological exam. The prevalence, the average number per elderly person and the frequency of dermatoses were calculated from the data collected. An analysis was then made of the distribution in the subgroups of, gender, race, age bracket as well as of dermatosis in the main sub-groups. RESULTS: The total number of diagnoses of dermatosis was 280 with an average number of 3. 73/ per elderly person and 32 different types of dermatosis: were found. The prevalence of the dermatosis most often found was respectively: melanosis (53.3 percent), seborrheic keratosis (46.6 percent), onychomycosis (37.3 percent), nevus (33.3 percent), senile purpura (29.3 percent), xerosis (14.6 percent), scabies (12.0 percent) and malignant neoplasm (1.3 percent). The distribution of dermatosis was 70 percent (CI95 percent: 59 percent to 81 percent) higher in the female population than in the male. CONCLUSION: Notwithstanding the small number of cases, these data are compatible with the few reports available in literature. This study of prevalence defined the distribution of dermatosis in a fraction of the elderly population. However the aggregate data of subsequent casuistries may provide the more precise information whose relevance is undeniable in the orientation of individual and collective future health measures.