Association between Tomographic Characteristics of the Temporal Bone and Transtemporal Window Quality on Transcranial Color Doppler Ultrasound in Patients with Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

Transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) is an ultrasonographic technique used to obtain and evaluate images of the cerebral parenchyma and to assess blood flow velocities of the intracranial vessels. One of the major limitations of TCCD is the failure to insonate through the transtemporal window, which occurs in about 5%-44% of patients. Temporal bone thickness has been strongly associated with transtemporal window failure (TWF). The aims of the study were to evaluate the association between TWF on TCCD and radiologic findings on computed tomography of the skull along with the demographic characteristics of patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and to propose a classification for transcranial window quality (TWQ) on B-mode scan of TCCD. A total of 187 consecutive patients with acute stroke or TIA were included. Among them, 21.9% had TWF and 34.8% had TWQ categorized as insufficient on B-mode scan of TCCD. On logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.12, p < 0.001), female sex (OR = 5.99, 95% CI: 2.09-17.16, p = 0.001), pneumatized temporal bone (OR = 7.90, 95% CI: 1.95-32.03, p = 0.004) and temporal bone thickness (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.73-5.35, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of TWF, even after adjusting for confounders. These findings may help to select patients in whom echogenic contrast or even other imaging methods could be used to assess intracranial vessels.

Grau de investigação de disfunção erétil por cardiologistas e endocrinologistas no município de Marília/SP / Research degree of erectile dysfunction by cardiologists and endocrinologists in the city of Marilia/SP

Foi realizado um estudo transversal descritivo em uma amostra constituída de 26 cardiologistas e 8 endocrinologistas no município de Marília/SP, com o objetivo de avaliar se estes profissionais investigam a presença disfunção erétil em seus pacientes. Os resultados do estudo apontam que no município de Marília/SP a maioria dos cardiologistas e endocrinologistas entrevistados aborda o tema disfunção erétil com seus pacientes que apresentam fatores de risco para esta doença. Nossos resultados estão em desacordo com algumas literaturas que referem que frequentemente os profissionais relutam em abordar este tema.

Grau de investigação de disfunção erétil por cardiologistas e endocrinologistas no Município de Marília/SP / Degree of erectile dysfunction research by cardiologists and endocrinologists in the city of Marília/SP

Foi realizado um estudo transversal descritivo em uma amostra constituída de 26 cardiologistas e oito endocrinologistas no município de Marília/SP, com o objetivo de avaliar se estes profissionais investigam a presença de disfunção erétil em seus pacientes. Os resultados do estudo apontam que no município de Marília/SP a maioria dos cardiologistas e endocrinologistas entrevistados aborda o tema disfunção erétil com seus pacientes que apresentam fatores de risco para esta doença. Nossos resultados estão em desacordo com algumas literaturas que referem que frequentemente os profissionais relutam em abordar este tema.

It was performed a transversal descriptive study in a sample consisted of 26 cardiologists and eight endocrinologists in the city of Marília/SP, to evaluate if those professionals use to investigate the presence of erectile dysfunction in their patients. The results show us that in Marília/SP a great number of cardiologists and endocrinologists approach those patients who present risk factors for erectile dysfunction. Our results are in disagreement with the literature which refers that frequently those professionals hesitate about talking on this subject.