Pseudo-Fringe sign in frontal fibrosing alopecia-like cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Marginal alopecia presents itself frequently in dermatological practice. For patients who present peripheral scalp hair loss, cicatricial and non-cicatricial alopecia should be considered, such as ophiasis, traction alopecia and frontal fibrosing alopecia. In spite of the several types of hair loss that have been described in cutaneous lupus erythematosus, the 'pseudo-fringe sign' had never been observed in such patents. OBJECTIVE: This study aims at including the 'pseudo-fringe sign' as another possibility of clinical manifestation in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus. METHODS: A case report of a 67-year-old lady with the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus and peripheral hair loss is shown in this study; the respective differential diagnosis have also been discussed. RESULTS: The diagnosis of a scarring alopecia caused by lupus erythematosus was established with dermoscopy and histopathology. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is another diagnostic possibility for patients who display the 'pseudo-fringe sign'.

A phylogenetic and functional perspective on the origin and evolutionary shifts of growth ring anatomical markers in seed plants.

We reconstruct the evolutionary changes in different anatomical markers in order to understand the evolution and functional aspects of growth rings during the diversification of seed plants (spermatophytes), one of the largest and most diverse lineages of the tree of life. We carried out a wide revision of the anatomy of secondary xylem in spermatophytes and reconstructed the evolution of the different anatomical markers in a time-calibrated phylogeny. By embodying a functionally and evolutionarily significant concept in growth rings we reveal a new panorama for their frequency and show how common they are in diverse lineages of tropical plants. In this context, the principal anatomical markers of growth rings are identified in the evolutionary history of plants and their association with climate-related ecological characteristics. We discuss the function of these anatomical markers, especially for thick-walled and/or radially flattened latewood fibres, fibre zone and dilated rays. Despite the high evolutionary lability of the anatomical markers evidenced by our analyses, they appear to represent deep homologies.

The growth ring concept: seeking a broader and unambiguous approach covering tropical species.

The concept of growth rings is little discussed in the literature and their treatment remains somewhat confusing in terms of the diversity of structures described. This situation has a major impact on the study of growth rings in tropical species, in which variations and complexity are greater and accuracy of identification less good. The rigid conceptual delimitations used by dendrochronologists and wood anatomists of temperate regions cannot be applied to the study of growth rings in most tropical species, which has led to neglect of this subject. With the objective of discussing the concept of growth rings, the present study consists of a survey of anatomical, periodicity, causal and evolutionary aspects of the treatment of these structures as evidenced in previous studies, and the evaluation of their application and limitations to the development of this concept. Anatomical aspects arise through radial integrity, or the presence of early and late wood; the degree of distinction of the rings, which may vary from well to poorly defined; and tangential continuity, meaning that rings may form a complete circle in the transverse section of the trunk, or instead be tangentially discontinuous, lens-shaped or in wedges. In addition there are a diversity of anatomical markers which enable us to recognize growth rings. Regarding periodicity, the rings may be annual, infra-annual or supra-annual. Causal aspects include genetic, endogenous and environmental components. Evolutionary aspects continue to be insufficiently investigated, and although most comparative studies treat growth rings recognized by different markers as though they were a single character, it remains questionable whether they can be regarded as homologous or the result of homoplasy. We conclude that the elaboration of a robust but broad definition which can include all the variation observed in growth rings of tropical species is a complex task, which is only possible by overcoming the restrictions adopted by dendrochronologists and wood anatomists of temperate regions for whom growth rings are essentially annual, strongly demarcated, tangentially continuous and restricted to the most pronounced markers.

Endovascular treatment of carotid-cavernous fistulas: review of 12 cases.

Carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are an uncommon pathology in current neurosurgical practice. Furthermore, they generally present a challenge to the neurosurgeon because of both their deep location and the major neurovascular structures that surround them. CCFs consist of a vascular anomaly in which blood flows from meningeal branches of the internal and external carotid arteries, or directly from the internal carotid artery, into the venous circulation around and in the cavernous sinus. Twelve patients with direct and indirect/dural CCFs who underwent examination and treatment between July 2003 and February 2006 are reported here. All patients of this retrospective evaluation were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis, which was confirmed by cerebral angiography. The patients were treated by endovascular approaches and the CCFs were occluded. From our evaluation, we concluded that the endovascular procedure is safe, effective and minimally invasive in patients with CCF.

Endonasal endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea implies a communication between the subarachnoid space and the upper respiratory tract. Trauma and postoperative defects are the more common causes of CSF rhinorrhea. The authors review their results with endoscopic repair of skull base defects associated with CSF rhinorrhea involving the paranasal sinuses. A total of 10 patients, 7 males and 3 females, were treated under endoscopic vision from 1997 to 2001. The causes of CSF rhinorrhea were traumatic (7), postoperative (2) and spontaneous (1). Four patients had the diagnosis and the site confirmed after intrathecal fluorescein-saline injection. The obliteration of the CSF leak was achieved with fat free, mucoperichondrial, or mucoperiostal free grafts taken from the middle or inferior turbinate and kept in place by fibrin glue. Primary closure was obtained in 10 patients and one patient developed a recurrence 14 months later. The repair of the CSF rhinorrhea by endonasal endoscopic surgery is safe, very effective and is a valid alternative to the cranial approach.

Datos para la historía de la bibliografía cubana sobre Angiología y Cirugía Vascular / Data for the history of Cuban bibliography on Angiology and Vascular Surgery

Se enumeran algunos acontecimientos importantes que condicionaron el carácter autónomo de la Angiología como disciplina médica. Se dan a conocer los primeros documentos que en forma de artículos de revistas, monografías y libros dieron origen a la bibliografía angiológica cubana y además se indican las publicaciones que constituyeron los antecedentes de la actual Revista Cubana de Angiología y Cirugía Vascular. Se brindan ciertos elementos relacionados con el desarrollo de la especialidad, los cuales justifican la existencia de esta publicación como medio divulgativo permanente de toda su actividad científica(AU)