Chronic kidney disease of nontraditional causes in central Panama.

BACKGROUND: Over the last three decades, the mesoamerican region has seen an increase in the frequency of patients diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease of nontraditional causes (CKDnt) also known as Meso-American Nephropathy (MeN). A region with an increased frequency of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has been identified in central Panama. The present study aims to characterize the clinical presentation of patients with CKDnt in an understudied population of the central region of Panama and to compare them with patients with traditional chronic kidney disease (CKDt). METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted in a nephrology reference hospital in the central provinces of Herrera and Los Santos, comparing a group of 15 patients with CKDnt to 91 patients with CKDt. Sociodemographic variables, personal history, laboratory parameters, and of renal ultrasound were compared. RESULTS: Patients with CKDnt had a median age of 58 years (IQR: 52-61), significantly lower (P < 0.001) than patients with CKDt with a median age of 71 years (IQR: 64-78). Patients with CKDnt had a history of being agricultural (60%) and transportation (20%) workers, significantly higher than patients with CKDt (15%, P < 0.001 and 0%, P < 0.01 respectively). Renal atrophy and hyperuricemia are significant clinical markers of CKDnt (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 respectively). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study in Panama to investigate the clinical presentation of patients with CKDnt and one of the few in Central America and the world that compares them with patients with CKDt. In central Panama the typical CKDnt patient is a male in his 50 s who is primarily engaged in agriculture or as a public transport driver. Renal atrophy and hyperuricemia are significant clinical markers of CKDnt. Further studies are needed to help understand the common determinants and risk factors for CKDnt development in Panama and Mesoamerica.

[Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis in an apparently immunocompetant patient]. / Une rhinosinusite fongique invasive chez un patient immunocompétent.

The incidence of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is constantly increasing, due to the growing number of immunocompromised patients. We report the case of a 73-year-old patient with a severe aortic stenosis whose preoperative evaluation revealed a recurrence of a left maxillary sinusitis operated many years ago. The patient underwent meatotomy and drainage. Pathologic examination of the sinus mucosa revealed the presence of septate and branched fungal hyphae invading the blood vessels. The diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis was thus established and the patient was treated by oral voriconazole. Our report describes the case of an invasive chronic form of a fungal rhinosinusitis occurring in an immunocompromised patient, and exposes the different forms of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. The diagnosis of an invasive form of fungal rhinusinusitis should be suspected in immunocompromised patients in particular, but also in immunocompetent patients. The appropriate treatment should be promptly set up, given the bad prognosis of acute and fulminant cases.