Intravascular papillary endotelial hiperplasia, the unusual diagnosis of an orbital mass.

Intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia is a bening vascular lesion that rarely involves the periocular region, nevertheless, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a periorbital mass. It is histopatologically characterized by intravascular fibrous papillary fronds covered by endothelial cells. Histopathological differentiation from angiosarcoma can be challenging but is very important to avoid aggressive treatments. Complete surgical excision is frequently curative. Uncompleted excision can lead to recurrences. We describe the clinical and histological findings of intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia in the left lower lid of a 72-year-old woman who had a painless mass since 15 years ago, that caused hypertropia of her left eye. Histopathological examination revealed intralesional calcification, which is not an usual feature in this entity. The patient underwent complete surgical resection of the mass and there was no evidence of recurrence after 5 months of follow-up after surgery.

Hiperplasia endotelial papilar intravascular, el inusual diagnóstico de una masa orbitaria / Intravascular papillary endotelial hiperplasia, the unusual diagnosis of an orbital mass

La hiperplasia endotelial papilar intravascular es una lesión vascular benigna, infrecuente en la región periocular, pero que debe ser tenida en cuenta en el diagnóstico diferencial de una masa periorbitaria.Histopatológicamente se caracteriza por la proliferación intravascular de proyecciones papilares de tejido conectivo recubiertas por células endoteliales. La diferenciación anatomopatológica con el angiosarcoma puede ser difícil, pero es muy importante para evitar tratamientos agresivos. Generalmente, la escisión quirúrgica completa es curativa, mientras que una escisión incompleta puede causar recurrencias.Describimos un caso clínico de hiperplasia endotelial papilar intravascular en una mujer de 72 años que presentaba una masa palpebral inferior izquierda de 15 años de evolución que le provocaba hiperglobo del ojo izquierdo. El estudio histopatológico mostró la presencia de calcificación intralesional, característica infrecuente en esta patología.La masa fue extirpada completamente y tras 5 meses de seguimiento no mostró signos de recurrencia.

Intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia is a bening vascular lesion that rarely involves the periocular region, nevertheless, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a periorbital mass.It is histopatologically characterized by intravascular fibrous papillary fronds covered by endothelial cells. Histopathological differentiation from angiosarcoma can be challenging but is very important to avoid aggressive treatments. Complete surgical excision is frequently curative. Uncompleted excision can lead to recurrences.We describe the clinical and histological findings of intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia in the left lower lid of a 72-year-old woman who had a painless mass since 15 years ago, that caused hypertropia of her left eye. Histopathological examination revealed intralesional calcification, which is not an usual feature in this entity.The patient underwent complete surgical resection of the mass and there was no evidence of recurrence after 5 months of follow-up after surgery.

Intravascular papillary endotelial hiperplasia, the unusual diagnosis of an orbital mass. / Hiperplasia endotelial papilar intravascular, el inusual diagnóstico de una masa orbitaria.

Intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia is a bening vascular lesion that rarely involves the periocular region, nevertheless, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a periorbital mass. It is histopatologically characterized by intravascular fibrous papillary fronds covered by endothelial cells. Histopathological differentiation from angiosarcoma can be challenging but is very important to avoid aggressive treatments. Complete surgical excision is frequently curative. Uncompleted excision can lead to recurrences. We describe the clinical and histological findings of intravascular papillary endotelial hyperplasia in the left lower lid of a 72-year-old woman who had a painless mass since 15 years ago, that caused hypertropia of her left eye. Histopathological examination revealed intralesional calcification, which is not an usual feature in this entity. The patient underwent complete surgical resection of the mass and there was no evidence of recurrence after 5 months of follow-up after surgery.

Terapias intravítreas en degeneración macular asociada a la edad no neovascular con fluido intrarretiniano o subretiniano / Intravitreal therapies for non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration with intraretinal or subretinal fluid

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia de las terapias intravítreas en casos de degeneración macular asociada a la edad (DMAE) atrófica con fluido intra- o subretiniano. MÉTODOS: Revisamos, de forma retrospectiva, las características de pacientes diagnosticados de DMAE atrófica con fluido intra- o subretiniano. Examinamos las retinografías y las imágenes de tomografía de coherencia óptica de dominio espectral analizando en ellas la presencia de fluido y su densidad. Descartamos la existencia de neovascularización coroidea mediante angiografía con fluoresceína o con verde de indocianina. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 14 ojos de 13 pacientes con una edad media de 72,64 años y un seguimiento medio de 80,5 semanas. Se observó fluido intrarretiniano en 6 ojos (42,9%) y fluido subretiniano en 8 ojos (57,1%). Este fluido era de alta densidad en 4 de ellos (28,5%) y de baja densidad en los otros 4 ojos (28,5%). La mejor agudeza visual corregida evaluada mediante la escala de Snellen mejoró de 0,37 inicialmente a 0,56 en la visita final (p = 0,002). El grosor macular central (en micras) disminuyó de forma significativa de 291,0 μm al inicio a 228,9μm en la visita final (p≤0,001). Del total, 8 ojos recibieron ranibizumab, 5 ojos recibieron bevacizumab y un ojo recibió triamcinolona intravítrea. CONCLUSIONES: La DMAE atrófica puede presentarse con fluido intra- o subretiniano en ausencia de neovascularización coroidea. Son necesarios estudios adicionales para analizar el valor de estos hallazgos como factor de riesgo en el desarrollo de formas avanzadas de DMAE, así como la eficacia de las terapias intravítreas

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal therapies in cases of atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with subretinal or intraretinal fluid. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of the clinical charts of patients diagnosed with atrophic AMD with subretinal or intraretinal fluid. Fundus photographs and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were examined, and an analysis was made on the presence of fluid and its density. Neovascularisation was ruled out by fluorescein and/or indocyanine green angiography. RESULTS: The study included 14 eyes from 13 patients with a mean age of 72.64 years and a mean follow-up of 80.5 weeks. Intraretinal fluid was observed in 6 eyes (42.9%), while subretinal fluid was shown in 8 eyes (57.1%), with high density in 4 eyes (28.5%), and low density in 4 eyes (28.5%). Snellen best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.37 at baseline to 0.56 at the final visit (P=.002). Central subfield thickness (microns) significantly decreased (P<.001) from 291.0 at baseline to 228.9 at the final visit. Eight eyes received ranibizumab, 5 eyes received bevacizumab, and one case received triamcinolone. CONCLUSIONS: Cases of atrophic AMD may present with subretinal or intraretinal fluid in the absence Neovascularisation. Further studies are required to analyse the value of this finding as a risk factor of developing advanced forms of AMD, as well as the efficacy of intravitreal therapies

Intravitreal therapies for non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration with intraretinal or subretinal fluid. / Terapias intravítreas en degeneración macular asociada a la edad no neovascular con fluido intrarretiniano o subretiniano.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal therapies in cases of atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with subretinal or intraretinal fluid. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of the clinical charts of patients diagnosed with atrophic AMD with subretinal or intraretinal fluid. Fundus photographs and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were examined, and an analysis was made on the presence of fluid and its density. Neovascularisation was ruled out by fluorescein and/or indocyanine green angiography. RESULTS: The study included 14 eyes from 13 patients with a mean age of 72.64 years and a mean follow-up of 80.5 weeks. Intraretinal fluid was observed in 6 eyes (42.9%), while subretinal fluid was shown in 8 eyes (57.1%), with high density in 4 eyes (28.5%), and low density in 4 eyes (28.5%). Snellen best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.37 at baseline to 0.56 at the final visit (P=.002). Central subfield thickness (microns) significantly decreased (P<.001) from 291.0 at baseline to 228.9 at the final visit. Eight eyes received ranibizumab, 5eyes received bevacizumab, and one case received triamcinolone. CONCLUSIONS: Cases of atrophic AMD may present with subretinal or intraretinal fluid in the absence Neovascularisation. Further studies are required to analyse the value of this finding as a risk factor of developing advanced forms of AMD, as well as the efficacy of intravitreal therapies.

Rapid molecular detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients in Santiago, Chile.

SETTING: Santiago, Chile, has a mean annual tuberculosis (TB) rate of 13 per 100 000 population; however, TB incidence in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals is at least 20 times higher. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of rapid molecular testing for pulmonary TB (PTB) detection in routine care in HIV-infected patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, conducted prospectively in five hospitals between March 2010 and June 2011. HIV-positive subjects with suspected PTB provided sputum or mouth wash samples that were directly processed for acid-fast smear, mycobacterial cultures and Xpert® MTB/RIF. Positive test results were reported on the same day. RESULTS: We enrolled 166 subjects into the study; 50.6% provided two sputum samples, 33.1% only one sputum sample and 16.3% a mouth wash sample. The prevalence of TB was 8.1% (13/160). Diagnostic sensitivity increased from 66.7% (95%CI 39.1-86.2) for acid-fast smear to 91.7% (95%CI 64.6-98.5) for Xpert MTB/RIF, with comparable specificity at 98.6% (146/148, 95%CI 95.2-99.6) and 99.3% (147/148, 95%CI 96.3-99.9). Xpert MTB/RIF allowed early detection of rifampicin resistance in 16.6% of cases, with rapid adjustment to multidrug-resistant treatment. CONCLUSION: Xpert MTB/RIF provided earlier TB diagnosis in 25% more cases than acid-fast smear alone. Its implementation should be considered for TB diagnosis in HIV-positive patients even outside TB-endemic areas.

Perinatal outcome in women with severe chronic hypertension during the second half of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the perinatal outcome associated with severe chronic hypertension (SCH) in pregnancies of > or =20 weeks' gestation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of data obtained prospectively of patients with SCH (> or =160/110 mmHg) who were hospitalized and delivered during a 5-year period. Each patient received intensive monitoring of the clinical status throughout the hospitalization (mother, fetus and neonates). Antihypertensive drugs were used for blood pressure > or =160/110 mmHg, glucocorticoids for pregnancies of 24-34 weeks and magnesium sulfate for women with superimposed pre-eclampsia (SPE). The main outcome measures were fetal and neonatal deaths, fetal growth restriction (FGR), major neonatal complications and length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). RESULTS: Of 154 women studied, 78% developed SPE and the mean week's gestation at delivery was 34.5+/-4.6. The average birth weight was 2329+/-1011 g. and the FGR was 18.5%. Four patients had a dead fetus at the time of admission, eight during the hospitalization and there were six neonatal deaths resulting in perinatal mortality of 11.4%. Thirty-eight babies were admitted to the NICU, average stay was 14.8 days. The most common contributors to neonatal mortality and morbidity were pulmonary complications and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the neonatal outcomes in pregnancy with SCH are better than the historical experience, but preterm deliveries, cesarean section, SPE, abruptions and total perinatal mortality remains very high.

Sarcoma de Kaposi y VIH: tratamiento antirretroviral y quimioterapia en 32 pacientes / Kaposi sarcoma in HIV patients: Response to antiretroviral treatment and chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: Kaposi sarcoma is the most common tumor in HIV infected patients. AIM: To describe a cohort of patients with Kaposi sarcoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of HIV patients with Kaposi sarcoma seen at a public hospital and at a HIV clinic. Detailed description of patients subjected to antiretroviral treatment and chemotherapy. RESULTS: Between 1995 and 2002, 1127 HIV infected patients were seen. Of these, 78 had Kaposi sarcoma, 15 were treated with high activity antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and 17 with HAART and chemotherapy. These 32 patients were male, and their mean age was 33 +/- 6 years. The initial CD4 count in 27 of these was 95 +/- 105 cells/ml. The initial viral load in 18 of these was 370,246 +/- 768,693 RNA copies/ml. Of the 15 patients treated with HAART, eight had a complete remission, one had a partial response, one remained stationary and five died. Of the 17 patients treated with HAART and chemotherapy, seven had complete remission, five had a partial response, 2 remained stationary and three died. The lapse of complete remission was 272 days for those treated with HAART and 292 days for those treated with HAART and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: In HIV patients with Kaposi sarcoma, high activity antiretroviral therapy, associated or not to chemotherapy, induces complete remission in 46 per cent of patients and partial remission in 16 per cent.

[Polyradiculopathy caused by cytomegalovirus in AIDS patients: successful treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)]. / Polirradiculopatía por citomegalovirus en 2 pacientes con SIDA: tratamiento exitoso con terapia anti retroviral de alto grado de actividad (TAAGA).

We report two male patients with AIDS, aged 23 and 30 years old respectively. One was admitted due to a progressive weakness of the left leg and urinary and fecal incontinence. The other was admitted due to a progressive paraparesia without incontinence, but with a severe lumbar pain. In both patients polymerase chain reactions for cytomegalovirus in cerebrospinal fluid were positive. Treatment with ganciclovir, for 21 and 14 days respectively and highly active antiretroviral therapy was started. Both patients experienced recovery of their neurological deficits after 98 and 88 days of therapy, respectively.

[Fatal lactic acidosis in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. Report of a case]. / Acidosis láctica fatal en paciente con síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirido y tratamiento antiretroviral de alto grado de actividad: comunicación de un caso.

Type B lactic acidosis occurs without any evidence of cellular hypoxia and is associated with the use of drugs or toxins. We report a 36 years old woman with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome that was admitted to the hospital with a severe lactic acidosis. She had been treated with didanosine, stavudine and efavirenz for four months prior to admission. Despite the use of high bicarbonate doses and vasoactive drugs, the patient had a catastrophic evolution and died in shock and multiple organ failure, 68 hours after admission. (Rev Méd Chile 2000; 128: 1139-43).

High F1.2 fragment of prothrombin, thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and soluble fibrin plasma levels demonstrate hypercoagulability induced during loco-regional thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA.

In order to investigate the coagulation and fibrinolysis state in arterial peripheral thrombosis and thrombolysis, we studied 33 consecutive patients (mean age = 65, range: 28-88), 25 males and 8 females diagnosed of acute or subacute lower limb arterial thrombosis, treated with an intrathrombus infusion of rt-PA (0.1 mg/Kg/h) for three hours. Plasma levels of antithrombin III (AT-III), protein C (PC), plasminogen (Pg) and alpha 2-antiplasmin (AP), total and free protein S (PS), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), F1.2 fragment of prothrombin (F1.2), fibrinogen (Fg), soluble fibrin monomers (FM), tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), total fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (TDP) and D dimer (DD) were determined prior to the therapeutic regime, at the end of the treatment, and 24 hours later. Levels of AT-III and protein C were somewhat low during the complete study. There was an increase in t-PA, TDP and D Dimer and a decrease of fibrinogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin and plasminogen at 3 hours. An elevation of TAT, fibrin monomers and F1.2 levels was found at three hours. A positive correlation between TAT and F1.2 was observed (r = 0.57, p < 0.05). There was also a positive correlation between soluble fibrin and TAT (r = 0.59, p < 0.05) and with F1.2 (r = 0.56. p < 0.05). These latter facts reflect an hypercoagulable situation induced during loco-regional thrombolytic therapy.