A1­A2 Fenestration Tube Technique for Clipping a Ruptured Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm

A fenestration tube is a clipping reconstruction technique that allows the preservation of critical vessels in aneurysm surgery. A patient with a ruptured anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm with a posterior projection was admitted to our neurosurgery unit. A right dominant A1 with rotation of the A2 fork was observed on preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA). During surgery, we observed that the recurrent artery of Heubner branched off the A2 just distal to the neck of the aneurysm. Successful clipping was achieved by building an "A1­A2 fenestration tube," with preservation of the recurrent artery and of the ACoA perforators. Surgical nuances and the advantages of fenestration tubes are discussed.

Surgery of a Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm with Fetal-Type Circulation

Inadvertent occlusion of a fetal-type posterior communicating artery in aneurysm surgery could result in posterior circulation infarction and neurological morbidity. The case of a patient with an unruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysm with lateral projection and a fetal-type posterior communicating artery is presented. The utility of the carotid-oculomotor window as a surgical corridor to safely find the fetaltype posterior communicating artery is discussed.

A oclusão da artéria comunicante posterior do tipo fetal em cirurgia de aneurisma pode resultar em infarto da circulação posterior e morbidade neurológica. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente com aneurisma não roto da artéria comunicante posterior com projeção lateral e uma artéria comunicante posterior do tipo fetal. Discutimos a utilidade da janela carótida-oculomotora como um corredor cirúrgico para encontrar com segurança a artéria comunicante posterior do tipo fetal.

Evaluación comparativa entre MELD y Child-Pugh como escalas pronósticas de sobrevida en pacientes con cirrosis hepática en Chile / Comparative evaluation of survival prognosis using MELD or Child-Pugh scores in patients with liver cirrhosis in Chile

Background: Currently, most liver units use the Child-Pugh (CP) or the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores to establish survival prognosis among patients with liver cirrhosis. Which classification is superior, is not well defined. Aim: To compare CP and MELD classification scores to predict survival among adult patients with liver cirrhosis in Chile. Material and Methods: Follow-up of 137 consecutive adult patients with liver cirrhosis aged 59 ± 12 years (55% women). The diagnosis was reached by clinical, laboratory and image studies at three different centers of Santiago. Patients were staged with CP and MELD classification scores at baseline and followed over a period of 12 months. The predictive capacity of the scores for survival was analyzed using a multivariate statistical analysis (Kaplan-Meier curves). Results: The most common etiology was alcohol (37.9%). The actuarial survival rate was 79.6% at 12 months of follow-up. When comparing groups with areas under curve of receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC), there was no statistically significant difference in survival between less severe and advanced disease, assessed with both survival scales. The AUROC for MELD and CP were 0.80 and 0.81, respectively. Conclusions: This clinical study did not find a statistically significant difference between the two classifications for the prediction of 12 months survival in patients with cirrhosis.

Trasplante hepático en Chile: Aspectos generales, indicaciones y contraindicaciones (Documento de consenso) / General considerations, indications and contraindications for liver transplantation in Chile: A multicenter consensus development document

Liver transplantation is an excellent therapeutic option for terminal liver disease. During the last decades the results of liver transplantation have improved significantly with a patient survival rate of nearly 90 percent at one year and 80 percent at 5 years of follow-up. The main indications for liver transplantation include: end-stage liver disease associated to cirrhosis, acute liver failure, and hepatic tumors (mainly hepatocarcinoma). The absolute contraindications for a transplant are less frequent than in the past, and include: severe co-morbidity (cardiac or pulmonary), sepsis, advanced HIV disease and extra-hepatic malignancy. This document presents a Consensus of the main groups performing liver transplantation in Chile, about its indications and contraindications. It also reviews general aspects of liver transplantation, including the selection and referral of liver transplant candidates, allocation of organs and the evaluation of severity of liver disease.

Registro de incidencia de hepatitis crónica: Asociación Chilena de Hepatología: período 1994-1996 / Chronic hepatitis incidence record: Chilean Hepatology Association (1994-1996)

La Asociación Chilena de Hepatología creó un registro de casos nuevos de hepatitis crónicas diagnosticadas con biopsia hepática entre los años 1994 y 1996. Se registran y clasifican de acuerdo a su etiología 106 pacientes altamente seleccionados con hepatitis crónica provenientes de la regiones metropolitana, quinta y segunda. De acuerdo a la etiología: 13 por ciento criptogénicas y 7 por ciento Virus B. La presencia de cirrosis al diagnóstico fue de 30 por ciento para las de origen viral C y 24 por ciento para las de origen autoinmune lo que podría afectar la respuesta a las alternativas terapéuticas. De acuerdo a estos resultados, deberíamos promover el diagnóstico más temprano en pacientes con alteraciones de laboratorio asintomáticas o notificando a los donantes de sangre en los que detecta alguna infección viral. En ausencia de otras instancias que realicen este tipo de evaluaciones, sugerimos repetir o mantener registros en lo posible de cobertura nacional, tanto para los pacientes con hepatitis crónica como para otras patologías hepáticas.