A Latin American survey on demographic aspects of hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients and the resources for their management.

Introduction & Objectives: Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of decompensating events requires of both medical skills and updated technical resources. The objectives of this study were to search the demographic profile of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a group of Latin American hospitals and the availability of expertise/facilities for the diagnosis and therapy of decompensation episodes.

Angiographic Features of Intracranial Aneurysms in Ecuador.

Background: Most of the literature describing morphological features of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is from North-America, East-Asia, and Europe. There is limited data from South-America. We describe the epidemiologic and angiographic features of ruptured and unruptured IAs in a cohort of patients from Ecuador.

Role of the microtubular system in platelet aggregation.

1. Four structural systems are involved in the process of platelet activation that leads to aggregation: 1) the membrane system, i.e.

Thrombocytopathy due to a defect of the platelet membrane complex.

A new type of primary thrombocytopathy is described. Three main alterations were found: (1) a defect of the aggregation reaction with ADP, epinephrine and collagen and a normal response to ristocetin and arachidonic acid; (2) a moderate deficiency of platelet procoagulant activity, and (3) a combined hypertrophy of the two membrane systems of the platelet--the open canalicular and the dense tubular. The latter defect is shown as an abnormal membrane complex situated on one of the platelet poles.

Prevalence of different types of anemia in Ecuador.

1. We present the results of a study of the prevalence of anemia and its causes in the population of Ecuador. The following parameters were used: blood cytology, reticulocyte count, serum iron, iron binding capacity, ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B 12 concentration.