[Churg-Strauss syndrome--case report].

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare systemic vasculitis, that essentially affects medium-sized vessels, involves multiple organs and in the majority of cases is related to asthma and eosinophilia. The authors make a review of this disease and discuss its differential diagnosis presenting the case of a woman with asthma that at the age of 65 is diagnosed with CSS.

[Advances and challenger in the diagnosis and medical treatment of respiratory diseases].

In the present article, we reviewed the most recent advances in the medical area and areas that contributed for the advances of medical science. We relate the advances in the areas of Biology and the Genetics, Bioengineering and Telecommunications among others. We also reviewed the most relevant advances in some areas of the more frequent pathologies of the respiratory tract, particularly those that urgently need new progress in terms of new techniques of diagnosis, therapeutics or prevention measures in the next years.

Stroke units. The first-year results of Pulido Valente Hospital Stroke Unit.

Stroke is a worldwide problem with high incidence, mortality, disability rates and costs. There is clear evidence from systematic reviews of randomized trials that management by a stroke unit saves lives, increases the number of independent survivors and reduces institutionalization. Like coronary care units, stroke units are known to improve outcome by concentrating patients who should be treated by a multidisciplinary stroke team.

Percentage of coronary anomalies in a population of patients undergoing coronary angiography: a retrospective study.

Coronary artery anomalies, although less frequent than congenital anomalies of the heart chambers and valve morphology, should be considered in a wide range of ages, in both sexes and as a possible etiology in myocardial ischemia, infarction, and sudden death, as well as in the planning of heart surgery for coronary revascularization, correction of congenital heart malformations or valve replacement. Between January 1996 and June 2002 we reviewed our catheterization database and carried out a retrospective study of the 3660 angiographies performed in our cardiology department. The patients were referred for positive ischemic test, acute coronary syndrome and/or valvular heart disease.

[Tuberculosis. Future perspectives].

Tuberculosis remains a major health problem around the world and its incidence is growing 0.4% each year. There are 2 billions of infected, 8.

[Limiting factors of exercise capacity in patients with COPD].

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Moderate to severe COPD patients demonstrate severe impairments in exercise performance in daily activities, significantly affecting their quality of life. There are several causes for this limitation found in literature: air-flow limitation, lung hyperinflation, respiratory and peripheral muscles weakness, among others.

In vitro diagnosis of drug allergy. Assessment of the chromatin activation test (CAT).

A controlled in vitro study was performed on people suspected to be allergic to one or more drugs by using the chromatin activation test. This test is based on the decrease of the nuclear lymphocyte birefringence induced by stimulation with allergens. A group of 70 patients with suspected drug hypersensitivity and a control group of 37 persons were studied.

Left main coronary artery originating in the right sinus of Valsalva.

A forty-one-year-old male, with no risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and with moderate alcohol intake, was admitted in 1992 to Portalegre Hospital with heart failure due to viral cardiomyopathy. He was re-admitted in 1998 with acute pulmonary edema and was put on mechanical ventilation for 48 hours, and transferred to Pulido Valente Hospital when stable. The physical exam was without abnormalities.

Sinus tissue concentration of moxifloxacin after a single oral dose.

Moxifloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone antimicrobial approved for the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. In order to assess its distribution pattern into the paranasal sinuses, and specifically to evaluate how the histopathologic changes associated with chronic inflammation affect its tissue penetration, we conducted the present investigation, a randomized, open-label, single dose, sinus-tissue pharmacokinetic study with oral moxifloxacin. Twenty adult subjects, selected for surgery because of recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis, were preoperatively randomly allocated to receive a tablet of 400 mg moxifloxacin 3 or 4 hours before the procedure.

[Pulmonary embolism diagnosis].

Pulmonary Embolism is often considered a difficult diagnosis to establish. It is important to recognise clinical situations that leads to it. There are a few laboratory and imaging tests, that should be tailored to the available facilities in each institution.

[Anemia associated with malignancy].

In this paper the authors reviews the anaemia in cancer patients, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and therapeutics, especially the indications for blood transfusion and the use of recombinant human erythropoietin. Also, the author reviews the impact of anaemia in quality of life and in the outcome of therapy and of cancer itself.

[The cost of tuberculosis care: in-patient estimated costs].

Objective: To calculate the costs of in hospital tuberculosis treatment and to compare the estimated charges of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and drug susceptible tuberculosis patients (TB).

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: Tuberculosis Unit (Pulido Valente Hospital), Lisbon, Portugal.

[Pneumonia in the adult population in continental Portugal -- incidence and mortality in hospitalized patients from 1998 to 2000].

Objective: To characterise the incidence and mortality in adult inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia at a global and regional level in mainland Portugal.

Patients And Methods: We used the clinical database belonging to the Ministry of Health's Instituto de Gestão e Informática Financeira (Institute of Financial Management and Informatics), which contains the encoded information from the discharge letters from all hospitalisations at National Health Service institutions in mainland Portugal. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all hospitalisations in 1998, 1999 and 2000 with a main diagnosis of pneumonia on admission (ICD9: 480 to 486 and 487.

[Sclerotherapy of female varicocele].

The female varicocile is associated to the pelvic congestion syndrome that is described. Five patients 31 to 52 years old are presented. Four of them have continuous pelvic pain and the fifth had huge vaginal and vulvar varices.

Hydatid cyst of the liver-criteria for the selection of appropriate treatment.

The appropriate treatment of hydatid cysts of the liver is determined by several factors, namely the patient, the cyst, the therapeutic resources and the physician. Characteristics of cysts, can be described by ultrasonography (US). Based on US images, we can classify hydatid cysts, according the evolutionary phase of the larval parasite and to choose the most appropriate therapeutic approach.

Risk factors and clinical angiographical characteristics of myocardial infarction in women.

Introduction: Myocardial infarction has a higher incidence in men. However, in women, although less frequent, it has a worse prognosis.

Objective: With the present work we aim to define the clinical and angiographical characteristics and evolution of myocardial infarction in women compared with men.

[Endoprosthesis in the treatment of severe abdominal angina].

The endovascular treatment (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement) is an option to surgical treatment in patients with abdominal angor, with good results by a less invasive way. A case of a patient with superior mesenteric artery occlusion and severe stenosis of celiac axis is presented that was treated by endovascular treatment and stenting, with resolution of the abdominal angor.

Septoplasty: long-term evaluation of results.

Objective: The goal of this study was to ascertain how accurately the surgeons' selection criteria for septoplasty, which largely relies on clinical judgement alone, is able to anticipate patients' long-term satisfaction.

Study Design And Setting: A 10-year retrospective study was undertaken in a tertiary care otorhinolaryngology center.

Methods: All patients who underwent septoplasty at the same otorhinolaryngology department in the past 2 to 10 years were mailed a questionnaire to evaluate their perception of the procedure's results.

[Endovascular treatment of iliac artery aneurysm].

The authors report a case of an aneurysm of the common iliac artery of atherosclerotic etiology, treated by percutaneous endoluminal stent-graft placement. They describe the technique and review the medical literature.

[Endoprosthesis in the treatment of renovascular hypertension].

Stents were placed in the renal artery in 6 patients, with renal artery stenosis and hypertension, 2 of them had azotemia. The indications were residual stenosis greater than 30% (4 cases) and restenosis following angioplasty (2 cases). The technique and results are described.

[Can blood homocysteine explain the family history of vascular diseases?].

Introduction And Aims: Family history of vascular disease is an important risk factor for vascular disease, independent of conventional risk factors. Homocysteinemia, a newly defined risk factor, is caused by genetics, such as cystathionine beta synthase deficiencies, and metabolic deficiencies. With the present work we intend to study the influence of family history of vascular disease in homocysteinemia.