Celiac disease prevalence in Brazilian dilated cardiomyopathy patients.

Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent condition of gluten intolerance and a number of autoimmune diseases have been associated with it. In the past few years, a relation between CD and dilated cardiomyopathy (CM) was described in Europe and United States. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of CD among south Brazilian precardiac transplant patients with advanced CM.

[Methylene blue chromoendoscopy for Barrett's esophagus diagnosis].

Background: Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the normal stratified squamous epithelium of the esophagus is replaced by specialized intestinal metaplasia, that carries an increased risk for the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Dysplasia and initial stage carcinoma generally precede this neoplasm; the increased risk has led to attempts at early detection of these lesions through periodic upper endoscopy and biopsies. The continued rise in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has fueled resurgent interest in the use of a variety of endoscopic techniques, like methylene blue chromoendoscopy, to improve the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus and associated complications.