Chronic relapsing allergic contact cheilitis from a toothpaste. A case report.

The paper describes the case of a 25 year-old caucasian man whose cheilitis was initially erroneously diagnosed and treated as herpetic cheilitis, and was then correctly identified as a toothpaste allergic contact cheilitis. The remission of the pathology was achieved through the elimination of the allergen, while the clinical symptoms were controlled by means of topic application of corticosteroids, with a complete and stable restitutio ad integrum of the perioral tissues.

Efectos ecotoxicológicos del sedimento del río Salado inferior (Argentina) en la supervivencia y reproducción de Moina micrura (Crustacea, Cladocera) / Ecotoxicological effects of sediments of low Salado river (Argentina) on survival and reproduction of Moina micrura (Crustacea, Cladocera)

Los sedimentos son un componente ecológicamente importante de los ambientes acuáticos; pueden actuar como sumideros de diversos contaminantes y mediar el intercambio de elementos químicos entre las fases particulada, disuelta y biológica. Una gran diversidad de organismos está expuesta a los contaminantes de los sedimentos, ya sea de forma directa o indirecta. A su vez, los sedimentos también pueden modificar la concentración de contaminantes en la columna de agua, afectando entre otros a los organismos planctónicos. El río Salado recibe aporte de Cromo, Cobre, Plomo y Cadmio generados por distintas industrias. El objetivo del trabajo fue comparar el efecto del sedimento de un sitio contaminado y de otro no contaminado del río Salado (Argentina), sobre el ciclo de vida de Moina micrura (Crustacea, Cladocera) en ensayos de laboratorio. Como indicadores del efecto tóxico de los sedimentos se analizaron: sobreviviencia y fecundidad. Se realizaron ensayos crónicos durante 29 días. Cada experiencia se inició con una cohorte (réplicas) de 10 neonatos aislados en frascos de vidrio de 40 mL de agua y sedimento de río en una proporción de 4:1 y alimentados diariamente con un cultivo de Chlorella vulgaris. El criterio de aceptación del ensayo fue mortalidad < 10 %.El análisis de supervivencia de Kaplan-Meier no mostró diferencias significativas (p = 0,170) pero sí el ANOVA de fecundidad (p = 0,05). Al estar expuesta al sedimento del sitio no contaminado, M. micrura produjo 113 neonatos en 11 camadas, mientras que al estar expuesta al sedimento contaminado produjo 13 neonatos en 4 camadas. La fecundidad de M. micrura mostró ser un atributo más sensible que la sobrevivencia. El ensayo permitió incrementar el conocimiento de los metales pesados sobre especies bien representadas en ecosistemas de Sudamérica (AU)

Sediments are an ecologically important component of the aquatic habitat; they are a natural reservoir of contaminants and play an important role in mediating the exchange of chemicals between particulate, dissolved and biological phases. A variety of organisms are exposed to the contaminants in sediments, either directly or indirectly. Sediments can also modify contaminant concentrations in the water column, affecting other organisms, including plankton. The Salado river receives contribution of Chromium, Copper, Lead and Cadmium generated by different industries. The objective of this work was to compare the effect of sediment from a polluted and a non polluted place of the Salado river, on the biological cycle of Moina micrura (Crustacea, Cladocera) in laboratory tests. Survival and reproduction were analyzed as indicators of toxic effect of sediments. Chronic bioassays were carried out during 29 days. Each experience began with a cohort (replicates) of 10 neonates isolated in 40 mL glass flasks, which contained water and sediment in a proportion of 4:1, and the organisms were fed daily with a Chlorella vulgaris culture. The bioassay acceptance level was a mortality lower than 10 per cent. The Kaplan-Meier survival tests showed no significant differences (p = 0.170) but the ANOVA of fecundity did (p = 0.05). M. micrura produced 113 neonates in 11 broods when it was exposed to the non polluted sediment, and 13 neonates in 4 broods when it was exposed to the polluted sediments. Reproduction of M. micrura showed to be a more sensitive attribute than survival. The essay allowed to increase the knowledge about the effect of heavy metals on species frequent in South America ecosystems (AU)

[Treatment of maternal hyperthyroidism and fetal goiter]. / Trattamento dell'ipertiroidismo materno e gozzo fetale.

A fetal goitre is a potentially dangerous phenomenon because of mechanical obstruction and possible fetal thyroid function disorders. During pregnancy women with a history of Graves' disease under treatment with propylthiouracil (PTU) have an increased risk for fetal goitre. In this report a patient with Graves' disease diagnosed in early pregnancy and treated with PTU which resulted in a fetal goitre is described. The fetal thyroid status, investigated by percutaneous fetal umbilical cord blood sampling, was normal and the reduction of PTU dosage was sufficient to decrease goitre volume.

Potencialidades y limitaciones del uso de recursos multimediales en la enseñanza de anatomía veterinaria / Potentiality and limitations in the use of multimedial resources in the teaching of veterinary anatomy

El presente trabajo persigue el propósito de demostrar las potencialidades de los recursos multimediales utilizados como herramientas complementarias a los materiales usados de manera tradicional, durante el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de Anatomía Veterinaria. Asimismo, pretende evidenciar el impacto que dichos soportes producen en la motivación de los alumnos, frente a las tareas áulicas, así como en instancias de aprendizaje autónomo. La experiencia se lleva a cabo en el marco de un proyecto de investigación educativa, desarrollado en la Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Argentina) por docentes de la cátedra de Anatomía Veterinaria, en articulación con docentes de la cátera homónima de la Universidad de Zaragoza (España). A través de la investigación, se procura evaluar los resultados de aprendizaje de los alumnos ante esta innovación didáctica y metodológica. Las entidades educativas involucradas interactúan entre sí mediante la comunicación electrónica. En tal sentido, se destaca que la producción de los recursos multimediales es desarrollada en Zaragoza y la etapa experimental de dicha investigación se lleva a cabo en ambos contextos educativos

Efectos del uso de tecnologías de imagen en el aprendizaje de materiales fácticos en los estudiantes de anatomía veterinaria / The effects of the use of image technologies in the learning of factic subjects upon students of veterinary anatomy

En el presente trabajo se incluyen los resultados de una investigación educativa aplicada en dos grupos experimentales y uno control de alummos, realizada en la cátedra de Anatomía Veterinaria, en la que se estudió los efectos sobre el aprendizaje y su perdurabilidad mediante el uso de un vídeo educativo con imágenes tridimensionales computarizadas del colon mayor del caballo

[Role of magnetic resonance in hemodialysis patients with amyloid shoulder arthropathy]. / Il ruolo della Risonanza Magnetica nell'artropatia della spalla da amiloidosi nei pazienti emodializzati.

PURPOSE: Amyloid shoulder arthropathy is a frequent finding in long-term hemodialysis patients. Assessing the symptoms is fundamental in the approach to these patients but their long life expectancy means that the correct imaging quantification of scapulohumeral joint impairment is just as important. We investigated the role of MRI in amyloid shoulder arthropathy in long-term hemodialysis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January, 1995, to December, 1996, twelve long-term (mean: 13 years) hemodialysis patients with amyloid shoulder arthropathy were examined with MRI. All of them had undergone physical examination to detect the most involved scapulohumeral joint. MRI was carried out with a 1.0 T Magnetom Impact unit (Siemens, Germany) using T1-weighted Turbo SE sequences at high resolution on coronal and sagittal planes, respectively parallel and perpendicular to the supraspinatus tendon, and FLASH sequences on the axial plane. Six patients were then submitted to surgery. RESULTS: MRI had identified 3/12 rotator cuff tears (always involving the supraspinatus tendon and other tendons), 7/12 rotator cuff tears from supraspinatus tendon injury, and 1/12 thickening and structural dishomogeneity of the supraspinatus tendon. Finally, no structural changes were shown in 1/12 cases. In addition, most MR examinations (11/12) showed some inhomogeneous material characterized by intermediate-to-low signal intensity on T1-weighted sequences; such changes were found in subacromial and subdeltoid bursas in part of the articular capsule and were always associated with hypointense nodular images in all sequences. Surgery was carried out in 6 patients and confirmed both the structural changes of the rotator cuff and the presence of amorphous material which appeared to be amyloid deposits at subsequent histology. MRI proved to be a very reliable tool even in the study of skeletal structural changes, permitting both the identification of periarticular calcifications and the accurate analysis and quantification of subchondral erosions. CONCLUSIONS: MRI was a very reliable tool not only in the study of rotator cuff tears due to amyloid deposition but also in the analysis of bone changes. Thus MRI could play a growing role in treatment planning.

A "primitive" catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

A female patient affected by a thrombotic syndrome due to non SLE-related antiphospholipid antibodies (APA), developed a serious, non inflammatory, thrombotic macroangiopathy and uremic-hemolytic syndrome during oral anticoagulant therapy. She was treated with aspirin, dipyridamole i.v. and with a total of 14 fresh frozen plasma exchange (PEX), but the thrombotic syndrome only showed a partial response with the APA titre dropping considerably. Renal failure did not improve because of acute cortical necrosis. The patient died from infective complications.

[Use of plasmapheresis in the treatment of Guillain-Barre acute polyradiculoneuritis]. / L'utilité de la plasmaphérèse dans le traitement de la Polyradiculonévrite aiguë de Guillain Barre.

Retrospective study on 23 GBP in-patients was undertaken in an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of plasmapheresis used in 8 cases: all patients were treated with corticoids. Evaluation methods and criteria for the choice of patients are discussed. Plasmapheresis appeared no better than other therapeutic methods currently in use, including support methods.

Long-term captopril therapy at low doses reduces albumin excretion in patients with essential hypertension and no sign of renal impairment.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in urinary micro-albumin and in serum and urinary beta 2-microglobulin during treatment with captopril at low doses in a group of hypertensive outpatients without any sign of renal impairment. Thirty-four patients with essential hypertension entered the study, all having been treated for at least one year with beta-blockers and diuretics. None had proteinuria (by Albustix) and creatinine clearance was normal. The patients were randomly allocated to two groups: the first group was maintained on the previous regimen (group BD) and the second received captopril 50 mg twice daily instead of the beta-blocker (group CD). During the year of observation blood pressure values and serum and urinary beta 2-microglobulin were not significantly different between the two groups. There was, however, a significant reduction in albumin excretion rate (AER) in the CD group at both 3 and 6 months. Since arterial measures did not differ between the two groups, it is proposed that the reduction of AER was due to a diminution of the transcapillary hydraulic pressure due to the inhibition of the intrarenal angiotensin II induced by captopril.