Risk progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: influence of male sex and of parasitaemia detected by polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUND: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood throughout the course of Chagas' disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether T cruzi DNA detected by PCR is associated with progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: A tertiary care centre in Argentina. PATIENTS: 56 consecutive patients with chronic T cruzi infection. METHODS: Clinical examination, ECG, and Doppler echocardiography were carried out at baseline and at the end of the follow up. Detection of T cruzi DNA by PCR amplifying a nuclear sequence was undertaken in all patients at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Progression was defined as death from chronic cardiomyopathy or the presence of a new ECG or left ventricular echocardiographic abnormality at the end of follow up. RESULTS: The 56 patients (21 male, 35 female; mean (SD) age, 56.0 (11.3) years) were followed for a mean 936.3 (244.39) days. Progression to cardiomyopathy was detected in 12 patients (21.4%). Three of these patients died after baseline evaluation. Univariate analysis showed that a positive PCR (relative risk 4.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60 to 9.85) and male sex (5.00, 95% CI 1.65 to 15.73) were associated with progression. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that both sex and PCR were independent variables affecting the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of seropositive individuals, patients with T cruzi DNA detected by PCR and male patients were at higher risk of progression. These results highlight the importance of T cruzi in the pathophysiology of chronic cardiomyopathy.

[Medicine and history. Concerning of the case of a man with a tumour on his forehead]. / Medicina e historia. A propósito del caso de un hombre con un tumor en la frente.

This case report is about the sickness of a 59 year old priest, politician and war veteran who died in 1844. The case history is based on the detailed report of his doctor, gathered in a diary and later published. The collected clinical data relied exclusively on touch and observation. The patient's illness started with a painful lump on his forehead that was in part excised. Surgical exploration revealed a soft tissue mass that bled easily and involved the frontal bone. In the following months, the lesion, which had been treated with complex topical medications, became ulcerated and extended to the orbit and the chin. The patient died postrated and in severe undernutrition one year after the onset of the symptoms. The case discussion, presented in the format of a clinicopathological conference, concluded that a metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma or an osseous lymphoma were the more likely diagnoses.

Medicina e historia. A propósito del caso de un hombre con un tumor en la frente. / [Medicine and history. Concerning of the case of a man with a tumour on his forehead]

This case report is about the sickness of a 59 year old priest, politician and war veteran who died in 1844. The case history is based on the detailed report of his doctor, gathered in a diary and later published. The collected clinical data relied exclusively on touch and observation. The patients illness started with a painful lump on his forehead that was in part excised. Surgical exploration revealed a soft tissue mass that bled easily and involved the frontal bone. In the following months, the lesion, which had been treated with complex topical medications, became ulcerated and extended to the orbit and the chin. The patient died postrated and in severe undernutrition one year after the onset of the symptoms. The case discussion, presented in the format of a clinicopathological conference, concluded that a metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma or an osseous lymphoma were the more likely diagnoses.

[Survival of patients with myasthenia gravis after thymectomy. Analysis of 100 cases]. / Supervivencia en pacientes con miastenia gravis después de la timectomía. Análisis de 100 casos.

In order to evaluate the survival of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) after thymectomy (T), 100 patients with MG in which T had been performed between 1967 and 1995 were studied. Patients were divided into different groups for their analysis: patients with thymoma (TI), 22 cases; and patients without thymoma (NTI), 78 cases. In addition those patients belonging to the latter group were further separated according to the date of their surgery into two other subgroups: patients operated before 1980 (A80), 43 cases; and after 1980 (D80), 35 cases; trying to evaluate the prognostic implications of the therapeutical advances achieved over the last 15 years. The population studied was composed mainly of women (78%) but with a slight predominance of men in TI. The mean age was 29.47 years (range 10-70) for the entire population, with a tendency toward older ages in TI (mean 46 years, range 23-70). The mean follow-up period was 4.3 years (range 0.08-23.2) without significant differences between TI and NTI. The results showed that the overall mortality rate was 16/100 (16%) [Fig. 1], with nine of those deaths corresponding to TI (9/22, 40.91%) and only the remaining seven to NTI (7/78, 8.97%). These differences in mortality rate between TI and NTI were statistically significant in all the specific times of follow-up analyzed up to 10 years after surgery (p < 0.05) [Fig. 2]. Notoriously, all deaths in NTI occurred in the A80 subgroup giving a p value < 0.001 when compared with D80 [Fig. 3]. In terms of morbidity, 55/100 (55%) reached complete clinical remission (CCR) defined by the complete absence of symptoms related to MG: 8/22 (36.36%) in TI and 47/78 (60.25%) in NTI [Fig. 4]. Most interestingly the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01) when the rates of CCR in A80 and D80 were compared for all the times assessed [Fig. 5-6-7-8]. It can be concluded that the best results in survival in MG after T are obtained in patients without thymoma and also that the benefits of the rational use of modern therapeutic modalities, including surgery and immunosuppression with drugs, can offer those patients high possibilities of leading completely normal lives.

Comparación de lactato sérico y pHi gástrico en pacientes críticos: ¿la combinación de ambos aumenta la capacidad pronóstica? / Comparison of blood lactate and gastric pHi in critical patients: the combination of both can increase the predictions capacity of outcome?

Se estudiaron 23 pacientes críticos, desde febrero de 1995 hasta marzo de 1997 que requirieron la colocación de un catéter en arteria pulmonar. Se hicieron mediciones de lactato y pHi al ingreso, 12 horas y 24 horas, se dividieron a los pacientes en dos grupos según sobrevivían o no. El objetivo del trabajo fue comparar el lactato en sangre con el pHi gástrico por separados y combinados, estimando el valor pronóstico de ambos. No hubo diferencias significativas en ambos grupos cuando se evaluaron los promedios de las edades y score APACHE II. El lactato en sangre tuvo diferencias significativas en ambos grupos a partir de las 24 horas (p<0.001). La sensibilidad del lactato fue mayor en el grupo de sobrevivientes (GSV) respecto al grupo de no sobrevivientes (GNSV) (69,2 por ciento vs 60 por ciento). El pHi mostró diferencias significativas en dos grupos desde el ingreso (p<0.001). El pHi tuvo mayor sensibilidad en el GNSV respecto al GSV (90 por ciento vs 84,6 por ciento). El pHi en éste grupo de pacientes fue el indicador pronóstico mas precoz y que combinado con el lactato en sangre aumenta la capacidad de predecir la evolución en pacientes críticos (AU)

Comparación de lactato sérico y pHi gástrico en pacientes críticos: ¿la combinación de ambos aumenta la capacidad pronóstica? / Comparison of blood lactate and gastric pHi in critical patients: the combination of both can increase the predictions capacity of outcome?

Se estudiaron 23 pacientes críticos, desde febrero de 1995 hasta marzo de 1997 que requirieron la colocación de un catéter en arteria pulmonar. Se hicieron mediciones de lactato y pHi al ingreso, 12 horas y 24 horas, se dividieron a los pacientes en dos grupos según sobrevivían o no. El objetivo del trabajo fue comparar el lactato en sangre con el pHi gástrico por separados y combinados, estimando el valor pronóstico de ambos. No hubo diferencias significativas en ambos grupos cuando se evaluaron los promedios de las edades y score APACHE II. El lactato en sangre tuvo diferencias significativas en ambos grupos a partir de las 24 horas (p<0.001). La sensibilidad del lactato fue mayor en el grupo de sobrevivientes (GSV) respecto al grupo de no sobrevivientes (GNSV) (69,2 por ciento vs 60 por ciento). El pHi mostró diferencias significativas en dos grupos desde el ingreso (p<0.001). El pHi tuvo mayor sensibilidad en el GNSV respecto al GSV (90 por ciento vs 84,6 por ciento). El pHi en éste grupo de pacientes fue el indicador pronóstico mas precoz y que combinado con el lactato en sangre aumenta la capacidad de predecir la evolución en pacientes críticos

[Regional changes of ventricular motility in patients with positive serology for Chagas disease]. / Alteraciones regionales de la motilidad ventricular en pacientes con serología positiva para la enfermedad de Chagas.

The aim of the present study was to carry out a quantitative assessment of the regional left ventricular wall motion and diastolic function of patients with Chagas disease in different clinical stages. Twenty patients with positive immunofluorescence tests for Chagas disease were studied. Eight patients were asymptomatic (class I), 9 patients had electrocardiographic abnormalities (class II) and 3 patients had heart failure (class III). The control group consisted of 10 normal subjects. 2D echocardiographic images from parasternal and apical views were analysed quantitatively using a previously validated method for the assessment of the regional wall motion of the left ventricle. Diastolic flow velocities and times at mitral valve level were analysed using pulsed wave Doppler. Patients with Chagas disease showed marked wall motion abnormalities in the posterobasal segment compared with controls. These abnormalities were evident even in class I patients. The number of affected segments was higher in class II and class III. "A" wave velocity was greater in patients than in controls (0.67 +/- 0.17 and 0.49 +/- 0.08 m/s, p = 0.01 respectively) but the pattern of diastolic flow velocity was non specific. In conclusion, regional left ventricular wall motion abnormalities are common in early stages of Chagas disease suggesting that myocardial activity of the disease is present even during the asymptomatic period.

Chronic Chagas' disease: possible mechanism of sinus bradycardia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of sinus bradycardia in patients with chronic Chagas' disease by studying their sinus node function with pharmacological agents. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Referral tertiary care hospital in Cordoba, Argentina. PATIENTS: Thirty-seven chagasic patients (19 females and 18 males, mean age 41 +/- 12 years) were divided into three groups: group 1, 14 patients with positive serology for Chagas' disease but no evidence of cardiac involvement; group 2, 14 patients with Chagas' disease and electrocardiographic abnormalities but without signs or symptoms of congestive heart failure or cardiomegaly; and group 3, nine patients with Chagas' disease and evidence of cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure. Six healthy volunteers with no evidence of heart disease were used as controls. INTERVENTIONS: All subjects received 0.04 mg/kg intravenous atropine sulphate followed 3 mins later by 0.2 mg/kg intravenous propranolol slowly injected. The resultant heart rate obtained with this total autonomic blockade (TAB) was considered to be the intrinsic heart rate observed (IHRo). MAIN RESULTS: The mean increase of heart rate after atropine was +68 beats/min in controls, +45 beats/min in group 1, +45 beats/min in group 2 and +32 beats/min in group 3. The change from the basal heart rate to the IHRo after TAB with atropine and propranolol was +29 beats/min in controls, +17 beats/min in group 1, +17 beats/min in group 2 and +5 beats/min in group 3. CONCLUSIONS: The observed response to atropine in patients with Chagas' disease suggests abnormality in the innervation of the sinus node. The difference found in the IHRo after TAB indicates involvement of the automaticity of the sinus node. These findings may explain the bradycardia reported in this disease.