Anatomical Variations in Patients with Ménière Disease: A Tomography Study

Abstract Introduction The etiology of Ménière disease (MD), a difficult-to-treat condition with great morbidity, remains controversial in the literature. The possible clinical and diagnostic impact of anatomical variations of the temporal bone among patients with MD has been recently studied. Objective To identify anatomical variations of the temporal bone associated with the diagnosis of MD. Methods Thirty-seven patients were included, although each ear was considered separately (n = 74). A case group (nA = 33) was composed of the affected ears of patients with definiteMDand a control group (nB = 41) was used consisting of the ears of individuals who did not meet the criteria for MD and of the contralateral ears from patients with unilateral disease. Tomographic images from the individuals included in the study were submitted to a blinded and systematic evaluation regarding a broad variety of anatomical variations of the temporal bone. Obtained data were compared statistically between the groups and after stratifying the study sample. Significance level was set at 0.05. Results Among the affected ears, it was observed an increased number of tomographic scans in which the vestibular aqueduct could not be identified (p = 0.01, Fisher exact test). No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing the affected and contralateral ears frompatients with unilateral MD, between affected ears from patients with unilateral and bilateral disease or between contralateral ears of patients with unilateral affection and patients without the disease. Conclusion Some anatomical variations might be more frequent in the affected ears of patients with MD, such as the lower rates of individualization of the vestibular aqueduct.

Coexistência de ascite quilosa e trombose da veia porta: relato de caso e revisão da literatura / Coexistence of chylous ascites and thrombosis of the portal vein: case report and literature review

Ascite quilosa (AQ) é condição rara, sendo caracterizada pelo acúmulo de linfa na cavidade abdominal. Os linfomas constituem-se, em adultos, em sua causa mais frequente; enquanto cirrose e/ou trombose da veia porta são especialmente raras. Este relato apresenta paciente com 36 anos de idade, masculino, com cirrose associada à hepatite C crônica e alcoolismo, emagrecimento de 15 kg e ascite leitosa, com predominância de triglicérides (1.500 mg/dL). Os métodos de imagem identificaram a concomitância de trombose de veia porta e cavernoma. A melhora clínica significativa foi obtida com a administração de nutrição parenteral total associada ao octreotide. A abstinência ao álcool não foi conseguida e houve reaparecimento da AQ e deterioração da condição clínica. O prognóstico da AQ em vigência de cirrose hepática é ruim. O tratamento deve ser individualizado de acordo com a condição clínica subjacente.

Chylous ascites (QA) is a rare condition, being characterized by the accumulation of lymph in the abdominal cavity. In adults, lymphomas constitute its most frequent cause; while cirrhosis and/or thrombosis of the portal vein are especially rare. This report presents a male patient, 36 years old, with chronic hepatitis C-related cirrhosis and alcoholism, 15 kg weight loss, and milky ascites with a predominance of triglycerides (1,500 mg/dL). The imaging methods identified the concomitance of thrombosis of the portal vein and cavernoma. The significant clinical improvement was obtained with the administration of total parenteral nutrition associated with octreotide. Alcohol abstinence was not achieved resulting in QA reappearance and deterioration of the clinical condition. The prognosis of QA in term of liver cirrhosis is bad. The treatment should be individualized according to the underlying clinical condition.

Explicações médicas para o mito do vampirismo / Medical explanations for the myth of vampirism

A figura mítica dos vampiros é, sem dúvida, uma das mais intrigantes, sedutoras e horripilantes da cultura popular atual. Esses personagens já habitam há centenas de anos a crença de muitos indivíduos - sendo lembrados pela sua inesgotável sede de sangue e pelo medo que desencadeiam nas pessoas. Durante os anos, tornaram-se figuras presentes em várias representações gráficas, literárias e cinematográficas. Esse fenômeno histórico ganhou diversas teorias nas quais se tentou dissecar a verdadeira origem das lendas sobre esses seres da noite. Este artigo, por meio de uma revisão de literatura, apresenta as tentativas de explicação da origem do vampirismo por meio de abordagem científica...

The mythical figure of the vampire is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing, seductive, and horrifying in current popular culture. For hundreds of years, these characters have inhabited the belief systems of many individuals and are remembered for their insatiable blood lust and the fear they trigger in people. Over the years they have been present inseveral pictorial, literary, and cinematic representations. This historical phenomenon has generated several theories that try to dissect the true origin of the legends regarding these creatures of the night. This article is a literature review presenting the attempts to explain the origin of vampirism through a scientific approach...