Macroglosia y amiloidosis oculta / Macroglossia as the presenting symptom of amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by the pathological deposit of extracellular proteins in organs or tissues. We report a 78 years old female with a history of euthyroid goiter and carpal syndrome, that presented complaining of weight loss and the sensation of a big and rough tongue. On physical examination, macroglossia and white nodules of 1.5 cm diameter in the mucosa of the mouth, were observed. The pathological examination of these nodules disclosed amyloid infiltration. A bone marrow biopsy showed plasma cell infiltration. The patient was treated with melphalan and prednisone, but she deteriorated progressively and died 14 months after the diagnosis

[The use of appropriate technologies to improve the sanitary quality and the yield of goat cheeses in little farms]. / Aplicación de tecnologías apropiadas para elevar la calidad sanitaria y los rendimientos del queso de cabra de minifundios.

The purpose of this study was to increase the microbiological quality and yields of goat cheese prepared at farm level. For this purpose, appropriate technologies for the cheese-making process were designed, using a curd tank heated by gas, and cheese knives adjusted to the tank dimensions. Moreover, a low-cost table for whey draining and PVC moulds, were designed. Variables assayed were milk pasteurization, utilization of lactic acid starter by direct application, substitution of the kid rennet by commercial calf rennet, and cheese maturation for a one-month period. The control sample was goat cheese traditionally made by the small farmers. Processing and variables were evaluated by proximate chemical analysis, microbiological counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total and fecal coliforms, and S. aureus; as well as by sensory evaluation of quality and acceptability. It was found that the cutting of curd with cheese knives significantly decreased solid losses in the whey. The addition of the starter and then the cheese maturation, as well as the use of the equipment previously described, increased the microbiological quality of cheese to standard sanitary regulation. Although pasteurization was the most effective treatment in decreasing bacteria contamination, this thermal treatment was difficult to be done under arid zones conditions. Commercial calf rennet did not differ significantly from kid rennet in the characteristics analyzed in this assay. Variables studied did not affect the normal sensory quality of goat cheese.