Publications by authors named "Cura L"

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, and longitudinal studies are crucial to find the factors affecting disease development. Here, we describe a novel initiative from southern Spain designed to contribute in the identification of the genetic component of the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease patients. The germline variant rs9320913 is a C>A substitution mapping within a gene desert.

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Linear scleroderma (LS) is clinically characterized by the presence of sclerotic areas of skin, which develop in a linear pattern. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a cholestatic disorder that can lead to end-stage liver disease. We present, for the first time in English literature, the case of a patient suffering from both the diseases.

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Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa (ENV) is the most severe form of chronic non-filarial lymphedema that leads to disfiguration of body parts. Multiple topical and surgical treatments have been typically used with high relapse rates and local complications. In this context, CO2 laser emerges as a new well-tolerated and effective treatment option.

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Background Bicuspid aortic valve patients have an increased risk of aortic dilatation. A deficit of nitric oxide synthase has been proposed as the causative factor. No correlation between flow-mediated dilation and aortic diameter has been performed in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and normal aortic diameters.

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Background: With the increase of elderly population, cardiologists and surgeons are faced with an increased incidence of mitral regurgitation. Most of these patients are denied surgery due to a misconceived perception of ominous surgical results. Our objective was to analyze early and late survival in elderly patients after mitral valve surgery in a center in which replacement is the procedure of choice.

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Background: With the increase in the elderly population, cardiologists and surgeons are faced with an increased incidence of mitral regurgitation. Most of these patients are denied surgery due to a misconceived perception of ominous surgical results. Our objective was to analyze early and late survival in elderly patients after mitral valve surgery in a center in which replacement is the procedure of choice.

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Background: With the increase in the elderly population, cardiologists and surgeons are faced with an increased incidence of mitral regurgitation. Most of these patients are denied surgery due to a misconceived perception of ominous surgical results. Our objective was to analyze early and late survival in elderly patients after mitral valve surgery in a center in which replacement is the procedure of choice.

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Background: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) occurs in 20% of patients after myocardial infarction. There is no agreement as to the best surgical option. With no prospective randomized controlled trials available, our objective was to perform a meta-analysis comparing replacement and repair.

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Cardiac involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome is common and represents the main cause of mortality. We report the case of a patient with Churg-Strauss vasculitis, mitral regurgitation with left ventricular dysfunction, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and refractory angina with non-significant coronary lesions. Cardiac denervation was proposed as an associated procedure to treat angina.

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Bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) are associated with ascending aortic aneurysms. We studied BAV patients before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR) to determine the risk and predictors of aortic root dilatation after surgery. BAV patients (n=60) with an aortic root View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Isolated pulmonary endocarditis is rare. Two cases that required surgical treatment are reported: a 35-year-old woman with predisposing factors for right-sided endocarditis who presented with complete heart block; and a healthy 65-year-old man with no predisposing factors who was admitted with septic shock. Both patients presented with septic shock and pulmonary septic emboli requiring urgent surgical treatment.

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We report a 63 year-old female with a pulmonary embolism in whom echocardiography revealed the presence of right heart thrombus. A section of this thrombus was entrapped in a patent foramen oval and floating in both atria. This rare situation, named impending paradoxical embolism, prompted us to perform a surgical intervention, removing the thrombus and repairing the foramen ovale.

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Background: During harvest of the saphenous vein (SV), the most important relationship to take into account is the saphenous nerve (SN) to avoid pain and paresthesias after surgery.

Methods: We harvested the SV and SN in 20 cadaveric lower limbs. Relationships between both structures were recorded using a millimetric ruler, and distances were measured from the medial malleolus at the ankle.

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Recent reports have shown that patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) improve transiently after high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration. Information about the usefulness of IVIG for long-term treatment is rather scanty. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of monthly IVIG courses at a dose of 0.

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A case of a 35-year-old woman presenting infratentorial CNS lymphoma is reported. In 1990 she complained of diplopia, blurred vision and left horizontal nistagmus. An MRI disclosed a lesion in the medulla, pons, and cerebellar vermis and peduncles.

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Epilepsy histories obtained by the computer interview were similar in substance and detail to histories recorded by house staff and attending physicians. In general, more information was obtained by the computer, and negative findings were consistently recorded by the computer. For potentially embarrassing questions, the computer may obtain more accurate information (Slack and Van Cura, 1968b).

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The potential of computer-based psychiatric information systems is still largely undeveloped. Conceptual, technical, cost, and procedural problems have limited the impact of computers, but there are programs that have been successful or that show promise. While changes in the philosophy of psychiatric computer applications are on-going, a cost-effective, widely available clinical computer system has been developed.

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