Value Health Reg Issues
January 2025
Objectives: In Brazil, cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are particularly prevalent in the southeastern region, including Minas Gerais, the largest state in the area. This study aimed to estimate the disease burden and healthcare costs from 2018 to 2022.
Methods: Data on life expectancy, human development index, population size, and gross domestic product per capita were extracted to calculate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs).
Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a validated treatment option for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), even if a greater knowledge of its potential delayed complications is still being acquired.
Case Description: A 49-year-old man suffered multiple episodes of cerebral hemorrhage in an approximate 10-year follow-up interval in the context of a left central core AVM with deep venous drainage into the internal cerebral veins (Spetzler Martin Grade 4) despite being treated with gamma knife radiosurgery at two separate timepoints, and with an almost complete obliteration confirmed. Approximately 10 years after the first radiosurgery treatment, he developed severe motor aphasia, Grade 3 right hemiparesis, progressive confusion, and memory deficits.
Variability in snake venom composition is well-documented and crucial for understanding snake ecology and predicting snakebites. In this study, we characterize the venom composition and biological activities of newborn female and male Bothrops moojeni and their mother. Our results reveal significant differences between the venom of newborn females and males, demonstrating a broad and diverse range of proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Anterior communicating artery is one of the most frequent locations for the development of intracranial aneurysm. The availability and advances of different treatments modalities allows for case-specific selection, but potentially impacts our ability to assess equipoise among them.
Objective: Investigate and compare clinical and morphological variables among surgical and endovascular treatment groups with ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms.
Vector species richness may drive the prevalence of vector-borne diseases by influencing pathogen transmission rates. The dilution effect hypothesis predicts that higher biodiversity reduces disease prevalence, but with inconclusive evidence. In contrast, the amplification effect hypothesis suggests that higher vector diversity may result in greater disease transmission by increasing and diversifying the transmission pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScorpion stings envenomation (SSE) is a growing medical concern in Brazil, particularly in the state of Minas Gerais, which has recorded a significant number of incidents. This study aimed to investigate the potential predictors of scorpion sting incidence and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventions in Minas Gerais. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were constructed using socioeconomic and environmental variables as predictors and scorpion sting incidence as the response variable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiant vertebral-basilar aneurysms are rare and represent 1% of intracranial aneurysms. Natural history and treatment are associated with severe clinical manifestations, such as ischemia, mass effect, hydrocephalus, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, leading to high mortality and morbidity. In this case, a 51-year-old male with no relevant medical history presented to the emergency department with severe pulsatile right temporo-occipital headache, radiating to the territory of the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Most studies concerning intraoperative temporary arterial occlusion overlook the period between and after clip placement.
Objective: To analyze the brain tissue oxygen tension through the process by which anterograde arterial blood flow is re-established after temporary clipping (TR).
Methods: In this prospective observational study, patients who presented to surgery for middle cerebral artery aneurysms were continuously monitored with ICM+, to obtain temporal (downstream) PbtO2 levels while M1 segment temporary clips were applied and removed.
Background: Microsurgical clipping and endovascular coiling are viable treatment options for posterior communicating artery (PComA) aneurysms, but there are still major limitations to evidence-based decisions regarding standard-of-care treatment. In this study, we aimed at assessing potential selection biases that may influence our ability to extract conclusions about the comparative effectiveness or efficacy of the aneurysm treatment.
Objective: To study the patient/aneurysm characteristics as possible biases in the option for endovascular or neurosurgical treatment of PComA aneurysms.
Background: Few studies have investigated the constipation or obstructed defecation symptoms identified by using imaging, as dynamic three-dimensional ultrasound and correlate vaginal delivery, parity, and age.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunctions in female patients with obstructed defection symptoms and to determine whether specific pelvic floor dysfunctions identified by dynamic three-dimensional ultrasonography (echodefecography) are correlated with vaginal delivery, parity, and age. The secondary goal is to report the prevalence of coexisting pelvic floor dysfunctions.
Objective: Despite its widespread use, much is left to understand about the repercussions of parent artery temporary clipping in neurosurgery. This study seeks a better comprehension of the subject by aiming at the online measurement of brain tissue oxygen pressure (PO) during such events.
Methods: This was a prospective observational study.
Background And Purpose: The identification of altered gait and its progression over time is important to gaining a better understanding of the clinical aspects of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults. The aim of the present systematic review was to determine changes in gait variables over time among older adults with MCI.
Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct databases were searched for relevant articles using the following keywords and Medical Subject Headings: Aged AND "Mild cognitive impairment" AND (gait OR locomotion).
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the transanal repair of rectocele and rectal mucosectomy with a single circular stapler (TRREMS) on the treatment of obstructed defecation due to rectocele and to identify the predictive factors for unsuccessful results.
Methods: Consecutive patients with obstructed defecation symptoms (ODS) associated with rectocele who had the TRREMS procedure were included. Each patient was assessed by echodefecography, manometry, and colonic transit time as well as the Cleveland Clinic constipation score (CCS) before therapy and at follow-up after 6 months.
It is known that excessive levels of occupational stress affect professionals' technical and non-technical skills and surgeons are no exception. However, very few studies address this problem in neurosurgeons. A system for monitoring cardiovascular strain and autonomic imbalance during intracranial aneurysm procedures is proposed in order to obtain overall cardiac measures from those procedures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Biofeedback is an effective method of treatment for fecal incontinence but there is controversy regarding factors that may be correlated with its effectiveness.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of biofeedback in the treatment of fecal incontinence, identifying the predictive factors for unsuccessful treatment.
Methods: Consecutive female patients who had fecal incontinence and were treated with a full course of biofeedback were screened.
Arq Gastroenterol
November 2018
Background: There is no a clear knowledge concerning the division of any part of the anal sphincter complex and the effect of this procedure on the function of the anal canal during the treatment of perianal fistula.
Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of 3D anorectal ultrasound in the assessment of anal fistula, quantifying the length of the sphincter muscle to be transected, selecting patients for different approaches and identifying healing, failure or recurrence after the surgical treatment.
Methods: A prospective study included patients with primarily cryptogenic transsphincteric anal fistula assessed by fecal Incontinence score, tri-dimensional anorectal ultrasound and anal manometry before and after surgery.
Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male and female pattern hair loss, is a very prevalent condition; however, approved therapeutic options are limited. Fractionated laser has been proposed to assist in penetration of topical medications to the cutaneous tissue. We present four cases of androgenetic alopecia that underwent treatment with a non-ablative erbium glass fractional laser followed by the application of topical finasteride 0,05% and growth factors including basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and copper peptide 1%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Little attention has been paid to the superficial anastomotic veins but severe post-operative complications can be related to iatrogenic venous damage. The importance of the position of VL (vein of Labbé) relates with the lateral accesses to skull base and medial tentorial lesions by posterior temporal approaches. The aim of this study was to characterize and deepen knowledge on the VL anatomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that affects more than 2.5 billion people worldwide. Here, we used the dataset of municipality infestation level from the Brazilian Health Ministry with the aim of building vector distribution models to identify epidemiological hotspots.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) has been successfully applied to maize breeding for more than 60 years. Our objective was to assess the relative efficiency of the genotypic value and the effects of general and specific combining abilities (GCA and SCA) on selection. The GCA effect reflects the number of favorable genes in the parent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Brain tissue oxygen concentration (PbtO(2)) monitoring has been used in aneurysm surgery to detect decreased brain oxygenation during temporary clipping. The effects of circulatory interruption according to different aneurysm locations have not been established. In this work, variations in PbtO(2) during temporary clipping were studied in anterior communicating (AcomA), posterior communicating (PcomA) origin, and middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vasospasm is a frequent complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), implicated in poor outcome, and prediction of its occurrence might be important on the therapeutic approach of this condition. Brain oxygenation in aneurysmal SAH was prospectively monitored during surgery in 28 patients, using brain tissue oxygen pressure (PbtO(2)), studying its association with the occurrence of post-operative vasospasm, detected by transcranial Doppler.
Methods: PbtO(2) monitoring was performed during surgery of 28 patients with aneurysmal SAH, using a polarographic microcatheter (Licox; GMS, Kiel, Germany), inserted into the cerebral tissue.
Aerococcus viridans is a catalase-negative gram-positive bacterium rarely found as human pathogen. Some cases of urinary tract infection (UTI) have been described in immunocompromised adults. In this article we describe a UTI case caused by this agent in a child with severe obstructive uropathy, clinically presented with secondary pseudohypoaldosteronism (SPHA).
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