[Cutaneous necrosis due to interferon alpha in a patient with melanoma].

We present the case of a 55-year-old male with melanoma in the right retroauricular region who had cutaneous necrosis only in one of the injection sites after adjuvant treatment with interferon (IFN alpha 2b) according to the Kirkwood proposed regime. Appearance of cutaneous necrosis is a rare condition that has been described in patients treated with different types of IFN.

[Delayed infection after Bio-alcamid implantation].

Bio-alcamid (Polymekon) is a gelatinous endoprothesis constituted of poly-alkyl-imide and water that is used for correction of aesthetic alterations. It presents very good tolerance with few adverse effects. We present a case of localized infection in one of the sites of injection, three months after the implant was placed in the nasolabial furrows and lips.

[Pathology related to altitude: the experience on K2].

The pathology related with the altitude is a common entity above 3000 m. It includes mild symptoms to severe illness such as cerebral or pulmonary edema. Cold-induced injuries may produce permanent tissue loss and surgical amputation.

[Evaluation of the Spanish version of the Memory Impairment Screen].

Introduction: Screening tests for detecting dementias are usually long, sometimes difficult to apply, and require a certain amount of instruction prior to using them. The Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) is a fast (3-4 minutes), easy-to-apply screening test that evaluates short-term verbal memory.

Aim: To evaluate the value of the MIS for screening for dementia in our population.

[Genital artefact ulcers appearing simultaneously in a couple].

Genital ulcers may be due to a number of causes, with the most frequent ones being of infectious, tumorous and physical etiology. The coexistence of genital lesions in a couple makes it necessary to rule out sexual transmission as a first option, as it is not always the cause. We present the case of a 78 and 73-year-old couple, both of whom presented with genital ulcers which had been developing for months and which began to manifest simultaneously.

[Eosinophilic enteritis as a rare cause of ascites].

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an infrequent entity characterized by tissular eosinophilia that can affect different layers of the intestinal wall. This entity can affect any area of the digestive apparatus from the esophagus to the rectum. Clinical manifestations depend on the affected layers and range from barely perceptible symptoms to intestinal obstruction or ascites.

[Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without aneurysm. Diagnosis trough myocardial gammagraphy and magnetic resonance].

We present three patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, their diagnosis was performed by means of imaging techniques to determine morphology, severity, configuration, complications, and distribution of the ventricular hypertrophy. Through color-flow and pulsed Doppler, the protosystolic flow in the midventricular region was detected, which we believe corresponds to the obstruction due to coarctation of the walls during early ventricular systole and that this gradient is independent from the one identified as paradoxical in patients with apical aneurysm. Explorations by means of magnetic resonance and Gated-Spect myocardial gammagraphy revealed the apical location of the hypertrophy confirming the "spadelike" configuration of the left ventricle and the absence of apical aneurysm.

Cutaneous extranasal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

Malignant neoplasm from natural killer (NK) cells are characterized by their positivity for CD56 and absence of monoclonal TCR gene rearrangement. We present the case of a 54-year-old man with a fungous mass in his left flank whose histological examination was consistent with cutaneous extranasal T/NK cell lymphoma. We review the literature and also discuss the prognosis and treatment of this variety of lymphoma.

[Epidemic outbreak of tuberculosis in a primary and secondary school in Granada (Spain)].

Objective: To describe the diagnosis and early treatment of an epidemic outbreak of tuberculosis and determine the utility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) compared with routine culture in gastric juice.

Material And Methods: A computer studies teacher, with clinical features suggestive of tuberculosis and caverns on X-ray, was diagnosed with bacilliferous tuberculosis. Primary health care services carried out a Mantoux test on the school's 387 students as well as on teachers and other staff.

[Strangulation of penile base by metallic rings].

We report two cases of patients who went to the emergency department complaining of penile strangulation due to metallic rings (Double key ring) at the base of the penis which was resolved by cutting the metallic rings. We look trough the scientific literature about this unusual pathology and its management.

[External genital injuries during childhood].

Objective: Genitalia trauma are relatively frequent pediatric emergencies. There is a wide spectrum of lesions that can be produced. The purpose of this study is to descriptively analyse our experience with pediatric urologic trauma over the last five years.

[Retroperitoneal pathology].

The retroperitoneum is one of the most complex regions of human anatomy as it contains a variety organs and structures from different systems, in particular those belonging to the urinary and digestive tracts and the vascular systems. The emergence of different diagnostic imaging techniques has made easier to study the retroperitoneum. Thanks to ultrasonography, computerised tomography and magnetic resonance the assessment of retroperitoneal conditions has taken a great leap forwards permitting the anatomical connections and characteristics of the structures in this region to be reliably established.

[Puberty and melatonin].

Background: Melatonin is the main hormone secreted by the pineal gland and secretion is maximal at night. Although researchers disagree, numerous data suggest that elevated melatonin levels during the prepubertal age maintain the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in quiescence, thus exerting an inhibitory effect on pubertal development. The decrease in serum melatonin with advancing age activates hypothalamic pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and consequently the reproductive axis, which results in the onset of puberty.

[Epileptic seizures as a sign of abstinence from chronic consumption of zolpidem].

Introduction: Zolpidem is derived from imidazopiridine. In recent years it has been used as a non benzodiazepine hypnotic. It is a short acting inducer of sleep of similar efficacy to the benzodiazepines or zopiclone, but well tolerated and does not lead to drug abuse, rebound effects or abstinence syndromes.

[Effect of potassium citrate in the prophylaxis of urinary lithiasis].

Objective: The physiologic effects of potassium citrate on urinary solubility have led to their use to facilitate stone passage after lithotripsy. The aim of our study is to evaluate the foregoing effects and the efficacy of long-term treatment with potassium citrate to prevent stone recurrence in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 100 patients with calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate nephrolithiasis that had undergone treatment by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).

[Descriptive analysis of patients admitted to hospital for acute cerebrovascular disease].

Introduction: Acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVA) makes up a high proportion of the neurological patients admitted to hospital, but we do not know the exact figures in our setting. We consider that it would be useful if the use of health-care resources for attending these patients was to be evaluated and studied by the neurologists who direct them.

Objective: To analyze a predetermined series of variables related to strokes in our setting.

[The presence of anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies in peripheral vascular and neurological disorders].

Objectives: To make a retrospective analysis of the synthesis of antibodies to the MOMPS and LPS antigens of Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients with occlusive disease of the peripheral arteries (ODPA) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Patients And Methods: We studied 190 samples of plasma from patients included in the following groups: group 1:66 samples from 66 patients with ODPA; group 2:74 samples from 31 patients with MS (20 remittent-relapsing and 11 secondarily progressive), followed over time; and group 3:50 samples from persons acting as controls. In all cases determinations were made using ELISA, of the IgG anti-MOMP and the IgG and IgA anti-LPS.

[Prescription of generic pharmaceutic specialties in discharge reports at a university hospital].

Background: The use of generic pharmaceutic specialities (GPS) has risen lately as a necessary tool in the control of sanitary expenses. This use is becoming of high importance, even in the non-medical media. Our aim was to stablish its use profile in patients discharged from a University Hospital.