World Heart Federation Cholesterol Roadmap: The Portuguese case.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the major cause of premature death and disability; effective cardiovascular (CV) risk prevention is fundamental. The World Heart Federation (WHF) Cholesterol Roadmap provides a framework for national policy development and aims to achieve ASCVD prevention. At the invitation of the WHF, a group of experts from the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (SPC), addressed the cholesterol burden at nationally and discussed possible strategies to include in a Portuguese cholesterol roadmap.

Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis: A Rare Complication of Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare disease resulting from chronic inflammation and infection of the renal parenchyma. It usually arises as a consequence of obstructive chronic pyelonephritis. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis is a distinct pathology, very rare in clinical practice, with a well-established association with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis.

Severe Hypertriglyceridemia: A 10-Year Review in a Portuguese Hospital.

Introduction: Severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG) is a rare condition associated with serious complications, such as acute pancreatitis (AP), and the best treatment is still a matter of discussion. The aim of this study is to outline the demographics, management, and outcomes (recurrence and mortality) of complications in patients with SHTG.

Material And Methods: A retrospective, observational, and analytical study was carried out by obtaining clinical data from the electronic health records of patients with SHTG admitted to the Internal and Intensive Medicine units from the 1 of January 2009 to the 31 of December 2020 in a university hospital.

Primary Splenic Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report.

Unlabelled: Primary splenic lymphoma (PSL) is a rare disease and an improbable cause of splenomegaly or splenic nodules. On the contrary, splenic secondary involvement as part of an advanced lymphoproliferative disorder is more common. The authors present the case of a 49-year-old woman with a primary splenic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PS-DLBCL), in which the absence of other organs' involvement determined an ultrasound-guided biopsy of the spleen to achieve a definitive diagnosis.

Inferior Vena Cava Syndrome: A Rare Complication.

Unlabelled: Inferior vena cava syndrome is rare and often difficult to diagnose because of its rarity and consequent low suspicion. We describe the case of a 28-year-old female patient with a history of nephroblastoma of the right kidney, stage IV, with a favourable histology with epidural metastasis (D5-D9), diagnosed at 3 years of age. The patient underwent treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Myelitis and Polyradiculoneuropathy With Severe Pain: Unusual Neurological Manifestations as Presenting Symptoms of Brucellosis.

Brucellosis, an endemic zoonosis in Portugal, is a multisystem disease, presenting with neurological manifestations in up to 25% of cases. Neurobrucellosis diagnostic criteria include evidence of central nervous system invasion, either by documenting increased blood-brain barrier permeability that normalizes after treatment or by Brucella isolation. We report 2 patients with systemic brucellosis presenting with neurological symptoms: A 28-year-old female with progressive hemiparesis associated with severe refractory thoracic and lumbar pain, whose spinal magnetic resonance imaging identified longitudinally extensive myelitis.

Takayasu arteritis revisited.

Takayasu arteritis is a large vessel vasculitis with various clinical presentations depending on the territories affected. We report the case of a 47-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis following rapid progression of coronary disease. The condition evolved rapidly under corticosteroid therapy, with formation of new arterial stenoses within the carotid and splanchnic circulations.

A randomized double-blind study comparing the efficacy and safety of orlistat versus placebo in obese patients with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Introduction: Obesity is a chronic disease and a serious health problem that leads to increased prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and gallbladder disease.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of orlistat for weight loss and improved lipid profile compared to placebo in obese patients with hypercholesterolemia, treated over a period of 6 months.

Methodology: In a 6-month, multicenter (10 centers in Portugal), double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study, 166 patients, aged 18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) > or = 27 kg/m2, LDL cholesterol > 155 mg/dl, were randomized to a reduced calorie diet (600 kcal/day deficit) plus orlistat three times a day or placebo.