Neuroplasticidad en personas con baja visión: locus preferente retinal y su potencial para la rehabilitación visual / Neuroplasticity in people with low vision: Neuroplasticity in people with low vision: preferred retinal locus and its potential for visual rehabilitation and its potential for visual rehabilitation

Visual rehabilitation in people with irreversible Low Vision (LV) aims to optimize the use of remaining vision to execute visual tasks. Conventional rehabilitation exploits the visual potential through training using the remaining visual function, with or without visual aids, to improve performance on specific tasks. However, there is no consensus about the impact of this approach in the long term and on the quality of life of patients. On the other hand, visual neuro-rehabilitation has long-term advantages that can be complementary to conventional strategies and is based on the generation of scotoma awareness and training in the systematic use of extrafoveal regions for fixation and for use as oculomotor reference. These regions called preferred retinal loci (PRL) are established spontaneously in the peripheral retina that still retain visual function and constitute evidence of a high degree of plasticity of the visual system. There is wide evidence of the efficacy of visual neuro-rehabilitation strategies on performance in specific visual tasks, but their impact on the overall visual performance and quality of life of patients is still pending. (AU)

La alta prevalencia de lesiones premalignas gástricas y el bajo rendimiento diagnóstico de la visión endoscópica son argumentos a favor de la toma sistemática de biopsias gástricas por Protocolo Sydney / The high prevalence of gastric premalignant lesions and the low diagnostic performance of endoscopic vision advocate towards a systematic gastric biopsy sampling using Sydney Protocol

Background: Atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) are stages that appear in the process of gastric carcinogenesis. Their presence requires programmed endoscopic vigilance. Objectives: To determine the frequency of AG and IM in gastric biopsies (GB) taken according to Sydney Protocol and to correlate them with endoscopic findings. Methods: Retrospective descriptive analysis of 233 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies with GB per Sydney Protocol. OLGA (Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment) and OLGIM (Operative Link for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment) scores were calculated based on the GB description. Endoscopic findings were analyzed for atypical findings and compared to the GB report. Statistic analysis for Kappa and ANOVA was performed via Stata 12. Results: Mean age of patients was 58 ± 12 years. 69% were women. The frequency of AG and IM was 44% and 33% in the antrum, 31% and 20% in the angular incisure and 14% and 9% in the body, respectively. AG and IM were more frequent in the antrum (p < 0.05). AG and IM were more severe in the angular incisure and body (p < 0.05). We were unable to calculate OLGA and OLGIM in 6% and 9% of cases, respectively, due to absence of severity description in GB. 53% were OLGA 0, 42% OLGA I-II and 5% OLGA III-IV. 70% were OLGIM 0, 25% OLGIM I-II and 5% OLGIM III-IV. Agreement between endoscopic and histological findings was best for IM in the antrum (75.5%, Kappa 0.4). Sensitivity and specificity of endoscopic findings were 39% and 70% for AG, and 30% and 85% for IM, respectively. Conclusion: AG and IM are frequent findings in our patients. Due to the low endoscopic sensitivity for AG and IM, we suggest a systematic GB sampling using Sydney Protocol in patients over 40 years old.

Introducción: La gastritis crónica atrófica (GCA) y la metaplasia intestinal (MI) son etapas en el proceso de carcinogénesis gástrica, su presencia requiere control endoscópico programado. Objetivos: Determinar la frecuencia de GCA y MI en biopsias gástricas (BG) por protocolo de Sydney y relacionarlas con el hallazgo endoscópico. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo mediante revisión de 233 endoscopias digestivas altas con BG por Protocolo Sydney. Se graduó puntaje OLGA (Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment) y OLGIM (Operative Link for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment) según la descripción de la BG. Se definió el hallazgo endoscópico según su informe y se comparó con BG como patrón de referencia. Estadística: Stata 12 para Kappa y ANOVA. Resultados: Edad promedio 58 ± 12 años, 69% mujeres. La frecuencia de GCA y MI en antro fue de 44 y 33%, en ángulo 31 y 20% y en cuerpo 14 y 9%, respectivamente. Hubo mayor frecuencia de GCA y MI en antro (p < 0,05). La graduación de GCA y MI fue mayor en ángulo y cuerpo (p < 0,05). No se obtuvo OLGA en 6% y OLGIM en 9% por ausencia de graduación. La frecuencia de OLGA 0 fue de 53%, OLGA I-II 42%, OLGA III-IV 5%, OLGIM O 70%, OLGIM I-II 25% y OLGIM III-IV 5%. La mejor correlación se observó entre la MI antral endoscópica con la histológica (75,5%, Kappa 0,4). La sensibilidad y especificidad endoscópica fue de 39 y 70% para GCA y 30 y 85% para MI. Conclusión: GCA y MI son hallazgos frecuentes en nuestros pacientes. Por la baja sensibilidad endoscópica en la identificación de GCA y MI sugerimos la toma sistemática de BG por protocolo de Sydney en pacientes mayores de 40 años.

Síndrome de Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada en niños / Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome in children

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes chronic and bilateral granulomatous panuveitis, usually described in adults. Objectives: To describe manifestations and complications of VKH in pediatric patients. Methods: Retrospectivedescriptive study upon patients <14 years-old with VKH, attended from January 1985 to July 2010 in three different centers. Results: A total of 17 patients (34 eyes) were studied; 9 (53%) female. The mean age was 10.8 years-old. Among extraocular manifestations; neurological (71%), dermatological (29%) and auditive (24%) signs were observed. Ocular findings included optic-disc involvement (94%), anterior uveitis (79%), choroiditis (77%), serous retinal detachment (71%) and vitritis (71%). Initial visual acuity (VA) was ≤0.05 in 47% of cases and ≥0.6 in 12% of patients. 71% presented complications: glaucoma (20 eyes), sinechiae (10 eyes), maculopathy (6 eyes) cataract (5 eyes) and ptisis bulbi (1 eyes). 35% received only corticosteroids and 65% inmunosupressive drugs. After treatment, 6% had VA ≤0.05 and 59% ≥0.6. Ten patients (59%) recurred: 30% compromising posterior pole, and 50% recurred >3 times. Conclusions: VKH in children is infrequent. It presents with optic-disc involvement and complications of posterior pole. It requires a high degree of suspicion, quick evaluation and early treatment, which include inmunosupressive and extended corticosteroid therapy. Nevertheless, a high rate of recurrence is seen among this group of patients. (AU)