Arginine or Hypertonic Saline-Stimulated Copeptin to Diagnose AVP Deficiency.

Background: Distinguishing between arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency and primary polydipsia is challenging. Hypertonic saline-stimulated copeptin has been used to diagnose AVP deficiency with high accuracy but requires close sodium monitoring. Arginine-stimulated copeptin has shown similar diagnostic accuracy but with a simpler test protocol.

Telemonitoring of Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Preliminary Experience in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Objective: This article describes the implementation and functioning of a telemonitoring center of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) organized by the Telehealth Center of the Medical School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais who signed an agreement with the Minas Gerais State Department of Health (SES/MG, in Portuguese), Brazil.

Study Design: This is a descriptive retrospective study from December 2012 to June 2014 of a NICU telemonitoring project.

Results: Twelve Web conferences have been performed.

Subtotal splenectomy preserving the inferior splenic pole for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Introduction: Splenectomy is helpful in the management of selected patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), but in some cases this procedure is accompanied by a greater morbidity and mortality mainly due to sepsis. This is the first published case of subtotal splenectomy preserving the inferior splenic pole without the maintenance of the splenic vascular pedicle.

Presentation Of Case: A 53-year-old man with HL refractory to chemo and radiotherapy associated to a very large spleen was successfully treated with subtotal splenectomy, preserving the inferior splenic pole supplied only by the left gastroepiploic and inferior splenic pole vessels.

Prevention of abdominal adhesions and healing skin after peritoniectomy using low level laser.

Background: Adhesions commonly occur after abdominal surgery and can cause bowel obstruction, chronic abdominal pain, and infertility. Their prevention remains a challenge.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of the application of low-level lasers on the prevention of adhesions and scarring of the skin after peritoniectomia.

Quality of life evaluation of patients with neurogenic bladder submitted to reconstructive urological surgeries preserving the bladder.

Treatment of neurogenic bladder (BN) aims to upper urinary tract protection. When the conservative clinical measures are insufficient, surgical treatment is indicated. Though admittedly important, the quality of life (QoL) has been little studied in these patients, there are even contradictory results.

Treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica: Review and Recommendations.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease preferentially targeting the optic nerves and spinal cord. Once regarded as a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), NMO is now recognized to be a different disease with unique pathology and immunopathogenesis that does not respond to traditional MS immunomodulators such as interferons. Preventive therapy in NMO has focused on a range of immunosuppressive medications, none of which have been validated in a rigorous randomized trial.

Tympanometry with 226 and 1000 Hertz tone probes in infants.

Unlabelled: This study aimed at describing and analyzing tympanometric results obtained with 226 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones; checking for correlations between tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions and otoscopic examination; describing abnormal results found in the evaluation procedures.

Methods: Double-blind and prospective study. Our sample included 70 babies, between 7 days and one month and 13 days of age, without risk indicators for hearing loss, evaluated in the State Neonatal Hearing Screening Program.

Diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency. While the clinical diagnosis may be straightforward in patients who present with classic signs and symptoms, atypical presentations may result in diagnostic confusion and delay in treatment. Abdominal pain is the primary presenting complaint of patients with acute appendicitis.

Breast sensitivity before and after the L short-scar mammaplasty.

Background: Breast sensitivity preservation is among the aims of modern breast surgery. Large-volume resection, extensive undermining, and resections at the breast base have been associated with breast sensitivity alterations. The L short-scar mammaplasty technique is designed to preserve breast sensitivity by resection of tissue in the middle and inferior portions of the breast, but specifically dissection and preservation of the breast lateral neurovascular pedicle.

Prevalence of serological markers for celiac disease (IgA and IgG class antigliadin antibodies and IgA class antiendomysium antibodies) in patients with autoimmune rheumatologic diseases in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Context: Patients with autoimmune rheumatologic conditions and celiac disease tend to have a variety of autoantibodies, many of which have no clear pathogenic role. The literature contains frequent reports of celiac disease being more prevalent in patients with rheumatologic diseases, although this remains controversial.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of positive serum tests for celiac disease, particularly IgA and IgG antigliadin (AGA) antibodies and IgA antiendomysium antibodies (EmA) in patients with autoimmune rheumatologic diseases.

Unemployment and self-rated health: neighborhood influence.

This work contributes to the study of the relationship between health, work and context by investigating the interaction between them in Brazil, a country with great social inequalities. It investigates whether unemployment and socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods in which people live are associated with poor self-rated health after adjustment for individual sociodemographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors and health status. Moreover, it tests whether living in an area of socioeconomic deprivation modifies the association between unemployment and self-rated health.

Reproducibility of the three-dimensional endoscopic staging system for nasal polyposis.

Unlabelled: Nasal polyposis is a chronic inflammatory process of the nasal mucosa, characterized by multiple and bilateral nasal polyps. Different drugs have been used in its treatment. In order to study the results of different treatment modalities it is necessary to have some kind of staging.

Nasal endoscopic evaluation of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

Unlabelled: The main otorhinolaryngological manifestations of CF are chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis, with different clinical presentations.

Aim: To characterize children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis through a questionnaire, an ENT clinical examination and nasal endoscopy.

Study Design: Cross-sectional clinical descriptive.

Effect of spleen surgeries on Escherichia coli distribution on the mononuclear phagocytic system.

Objective: To avoid asplenic state, many approaches preserving the spleen have been proposed in the literature: splenorraphy, partial splenectomy with or without preservation of hilar vessels and splenic tissue auto-implants. Subtotal splenectomy, preserving the upper spleen pole nourished only by splenogastric vessels is an alternative when the splenic pedicle must be ligated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of partial, subtotal and total splenectomies on the distribution of Escherichia coli in the mononuclear phagocytic system.

Successful ovarian autotransplant with no vascular reanastomosis in rats.

Preservation of ovarian functions in woman with premature ovarian failure remains an issue in reproductive medicine. Hormone replacement therapy for maintaining endocrine functions, and cryopreservation of embryos or oocytes for those who wish pregnancy, are some of the choices. However, ovarian transplantation is a more physiological alternative, although problems related to ovarian ischemia have been reported.

Comparison between conducted healing and the use of skin grafts for the treatment of skin wounds in rabbits.

Background: Improvement of the healing process to provide better aesthetical and functional results continues to be a surgical challenge. This study compared the treatment of skin wounds by means of conducted healing (an original method of treatment by secondary healing) and by the use of autogenous skin grafts.

Material And Methods: Two skin segments, one on each side of the dorsum, were removed from 17 rabbits.

Morphology and healing resistance of abdominal wall after longitudinal and transversal laparotomy in rabbits.

Aim: The abdominal wall continues to be a topic of investigation for the evaluation of its healing in terms of morphology and resistance. In the present investigation, transverse and longitudinal laparotomies were studied comparatively.

Methods: Thirty rabbits were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n=10) longitudinal laparotomy, Subgroup 1A (n=5) suture of the anterior and posterior sheaths of the abdominal rectus muscle and of the peritoneum, Subgroup 1B (n=5) suture of the anterior sheath of the abdominal rectus muscle; Group 2 (n=20) transverse laparotomy, Subgroup 2A (n=5) suture of the anterior and posterior sheaths of the abdominal rectus muscle and of the peritoneum, Subgroup 2B (n=5) suture of only the anterior sheath of the abdominal rectus muscle, Subgroup 2C (n=5) suture of the abdominal rectus muscle and of its anterior sheath on a single plane, Subgroup 2D (n=5) repair of the posterior sheath of the abdominal rectus muscle together with the peritoneum, followed by suture of the abdominal rectus muscle complemented with suture of the anterior sheath of the same muscle.

Subtotal splenectomy and central splenorenal shunt for treatment of bleeding from Roux en Y jejunal loop varices secondary to portal hypertension.

Purpose: To present subtotal splenectomy and splenorenal shunt as a surgical option to treat severe bleeding from a Roux en Y jejunal loop varices secondary to portal hypertension.

Method: A 64-year-old white woman presented severe episodes of bleeding from varices inside a Roux en Y jejunal loop secondary to portal hypertension due to cirrhosis. Subtotal splenectomy was performed with preservation of the upper splenic pole supplied by the splenogastric vessels.

Effects of immunosuppression induced by thalidomide and cyclosporine in heterotopic heart transplantation in rabbits.

Unlabelled: Because of its anti-inflammatory and immunodepressive effects, thalidomide has been used for the treatment of dermatologic diseases and of host-versus-graft reactions in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. We evaluated the immunosuppressive action of thalidomide alone or in combination with cyclosporine on the prevention of rejection of heterotopic cardiac allografts in rabbits.

Methods: Fifty rabbits were used including 25 donors and 25 recipients.

Morphologic, endocrinologic and natural pregnancy assessment of intact and sliced ovarian orthotopic auto-implants in rabbits. Natural pregnancy and ovarian auto-implants.

Aim: The aim of the paper was to assess the natural pregnancy of rabbits submitted to bilateral oophorectomy and orthotopic autologous intact and sliced ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle and to determine the morphofunctional aspects of the reimplanted ovaries.

Methods: Thirty-two female New Zealand White rabbits were studied. The ovaries were removed and orthotopically replaced without vascular anastomosis.

Hepatitis C, HCV genotypes and hepatic siderosis in patients with chronic renal failure on haemodialysis in Brazil.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the HCV genotypes, hepatic siderosis, inflammatory activity and fibrosis of the liver in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on haemodialysis in Brazil.

Methods: A cohort of 72 CRF patients was compared with a group of 65 candidates for blood donation (CBD). For the subjects selected, who tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies and were HCV-PCR positive, a protocol with epidemiological, clinical and laboratory information was completed.

Allogeneic and autologous ovarian orthotopic transplantation without a vascular pedicle: morphological, endocrinologic and natural pregnancy assessment.

Background: To assess the natural pregnancy of rabbits submitted to bilateral oophorectomy and orthotopic allogeneic or autologous intact and sliced ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle, and to determine the morpho-functional aspects of the transplanted ovaries.

Methods: Fifty-six female rabbits were studied. The ovaries were removed and orthotopically transplanted or replaced without vascular anastomoses: Group 1 (n = 8), only laparotomy and laparorrhaphy; Group 2A (n = 8), intact ovaries were transplanted on both sides; Group 2B (n = 8), both ovaries were sliced and orthotopically transplanted; Group 2C (n = 8), an intact ovary was transplanted on one side and a sliced ovary on the other side; Groups 3A-C, the ovaries were reimplanted according to the procedure and subgroups described for Group 2.