The rat posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) links emotionally charged sensory stimuli to social behavior, and is part of the supramedullary control of the cardiovascular system. We studied the effects of microinjections of neuroactive peptides markedly found in the MePD, namely oxytocin (OT, 10 ng and 25 pg; n=6/group), somatostatin (SST, 1 and 0.05 μM; n=8 and 5, respectively), and angiotensin II (Ang II, 50 pmol and 50 fmol; n=7/group), on basal cardiovascular activity and on baroreflex- and chemoreflex-mediated responses in awake adult male rats. Power spectral and symbolic analyses were applied to pulse interval and systolic arterial pressure series to identify centrally mediated sympathetic/parasympathetic components in the heart rate variability (HRV) and arterial pressure variability (APV). No microinjected substance affected basal parameters. On the other hand, compared with the control data (saline, 0.3 µL; n=7), OT (10 ng) decreased mean AP (MAP50) after baroreflex stimulation and increased both the mean AP response after chemoreflex activation and the high-frequency component of the HRV. OT (25 pg) increased overall HRV but did not affect any parameter of the symbolic analysis. SST (1 μM) decreased MAP50, and SST (0.05 μM) enhanced the sympathovagal cardiac index. Both doses of SST increased HRV and its low-frequency component. Ang II (50 pmol) increased HRV and reduced the two unlike variations pattern of the symbolic analysis (P<0.05 in all cases). These results demonstrate neuropeptidergic actions in the MePD for both the increase in the range of the cardiovascular reflex responses and the involvement of the central sympathetic and parasympathetic systems on HRV and APV.

Objective: endoanal ultrasonography can detect organic causes of anal pain without pathology on physical examination. The aim of this study is to evaluate the importance of endoanal ultrasonography in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of idiopathic and functional anal pain. Material and methods: retrospective study, between 15 March 2005 and 15 June 2008, of all patients with proctalgia and normal examination or with alterations not responsible for anal pain at proctologic exam that have undergone an endoanal ultrasonography. Results: a total of 90 patients were analyzed, with a mean age of 50.5 years, 58% were female. Twenty-three patients had functional anal pain clinic criteria. Endoanal ultrasonography revealed alterations in 49% of patients. The primary findings were changes in sphincters in 14 patients, followed by anal sepsis in 12 patients, anal fissure in 10 patients, perirectal lesions in 6 patients and ulcer of the anal canal in 2 patients. Of the patients with sphincter defects, 5 patients had criteria of chronic anal pain. In this group of patients, no differences were found in manometric and defecographic results between the different ultrasound abnormalities. Conclusions: the endoanal ultrasonography detected occult organic lesions to proctologic examination, in half the patients with anal pain. Ultrasound abnormalities were found in 22% of patients with functional anal pain. However, there was no correlation between ultrasound findings and physiological studies, and therefore could not find etiological or pathogenic factors of functional anal pain.

Objetivo: la ecografía endoanal puede detectar causas orgánicas en el dolor anal sin patología en la exploración física. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la importancia de la ecografía endoanal en el diagnóstico y en el abordaje terapéutico del dolor anal idiopática y funcional. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo realizado entre el 15 de marzo de 2005 y el 15 de junio de 2008, en todos los pacientes referenciados para hacerse la ecografía endoanal, debido a dolor anal con exploración física normal o sin alteraciones que justifiquen el dolor anal. Resultados: analizamos 90 pacientes con edad media de 50,5 años, 58% mujeres. Veintitrés pacientes presentaban criterios de dolor anal funcional. La ecografía endoanal reveló alteraciones en el 49% de los casos. Las alteraciones más frecuentes fueron las alteraciones esfinterianas, en 14 pacientes, seguido de sepsis anal, en 12 pacientes, de fisura anal, en 10 pacientes, de las lesiones perirrectales, en 6 pacientes y de úlcera del canal anal, en 2 pacientes. De los pacientes con alteraciones esfinterianas, 5 pacientes tenían criterios de dolor crónico. En este grupo de pacientes, no se encuentran diferencias en los hallazgos manométricos y defecográficos entre las diferentes alteraciones ecográficas. Conclusiones: la ecografía endoanal detectó lesiones estructurales no sospechadas en el examen físico en la mitad de los enfermos con dolor anal. Se han encontrado alteraciones ecográficas en el 22% de los pacientes con dolor anal funcional. Sin embargo, no se encontró correlación entre los hallazgos ecográficos y los estudios fisiológicos, así que no fue posible encontrar factores etiológicos o patogénicos del dolor anal funcional.

A colocação de sonda por gastrostomia endoscópica percutânea é aceite como via alternativa para alimentação entérica em doentes com neoplasias obstrutivas laringofaríngeas ou esofágicas. A implantação metastática no estoma é uma complicação rara mas crescentemente referenciada na literatura, sendo importante a sua divulgação. Os autores apresentam, com iconografia, um caso de metastização de cancro esofágico para o estoma de gastrostomia endoscópica percutânea e fazem uma revisão da literatura.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement is a widely accepted alternative route for providing enteral nutrition in patients with laryngeal, pharyngeal or oesophageal cancer causing obstruction. Metastatic implantation to the stoma is an uncommon complication but one that is being recognized with increasing frequency; and it is important that it be reported. The authors describe a case of metastasis of an oesophageal cancer at a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy stoma with iconography and present a literature review.

With the aim of investigating the presence of latent inflammatory process in the lungs of patients with Crohn's disease, 15 patients with Crohn's disease were evaluated by spirometry, the methacholine challenge test, induced sputum, and skin tests for inhaled antigens. Serum IgE, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hematocrit were also determined. The patients were compared with 20 healthy controls by the Mann-Whitney and Fisher exact tests. Their respiratory physical examination was normal. None had a personal or family history of clinical atopy. None had a previous history of pulmonary disease, smoking or toxic bronchopulmonary exposure. None had sinusitis, migraine, diabetes mellitus, or cardiac failure. Four (26.6%) of the patients with Crohn's disease had a positive methacholine challenge test whereas none of the 20 controls had a positive methacholine test (P = 0.026, Fisher exact test). Patients with Crohn's disease had a higher level of lymphocytes in induced sputum than controls (mean 14.59%, range 3.2-50 vs 5.46%, 0-26.92%, respectively; P = 0.011, Mann-Whitney test). Patients with Crohn's disease and a positive methacholine challenge test had an even higher percentage of lymphocytes in induced sputum compared with patients with Crohn's disease and a negative methacholine test (mean 24.88%, range 12.87-50 vs 10.48%, 3.2-21.69%; P = 0.047, Mann-Whitney test). The simultaneous findings of bronchopulmonary lymphocytosis and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with Crohn's disease were not reported up to now. These results suggest that patients with Crohn's disease present a subclinical inflammatory process despite the absence of pulmonary symptoms.

OBJETIVO: Determinar a prevalência dos diferentes modos de morrer e identificar limites terapêuticos em pacientes de uma Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo Pediátrica (UTIP) de hospital universitário. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo, baseado na revisão de prontuários dos pacientes que morreram na UTIP do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, no período de 1º julho de 1996 a 30 junho de 1997. Para modo de morrer, adotou-se critérios de: não resposta às medidas de ressuscitação cardiorrespiratória (NRRST), morte cerebral (MC), retirada/não-adoção de medidas de suporte de vida (R/NASV) e decisão de não reanimar (DNR). Para causa de morte, adotou-se critério de falências de órgãos. RESULTADOS: Dos 61 óbitos ocorridos no período, entraram no estudo 44 pacientes, cuja mediana de idade foi 28 meses. Todos tiveram como causa de morte a falência de múltiplos órgãos. Vinte e seis pacientes (59%) eram do grupo I (NRRST e MC), enquanto 18 (41%) do grupo II (R/NASV e DNR). No grupo II, 83% dos pacientes tinham doença crônica e/ou debilitante (p = 0,017; chi²). Os motivos de admissão mais prevalentes foram necessidade de terapias de suporte (55%), ventilatória e cardiocirculatória, sem diferença estatística entre os grupos. A mediana do tempo de permanência na UTI foi de 5 dias, e no hospital, de 11 dias, sem significância estatística entre os dois grupos. CONCLUSÕES: Observou-se alta prevalência de modos de morrer R/NASV e DNR nos pacientes de UTIP avaliados, sugerindo condutas de limitação terapêutica para eles. Não se conseguiu avaliar o nível de participação da equipe e da família nesse processo de tomada de decisões.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence of different modes of death and to identify therapeutic limitations in patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at a teaching hospital. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out. Information was collected from the medical records of patients who died at the PICU of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between July 1st, 1996 and June 30th, 1997. Four modes of death were considered: patient not responding to cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods (NRCPR), brain death (BD), withdrawal / withhold life-support measures (W/WLS) and decision not to resuscitate (DNR). For cause of death we employed the criterion of organ failure. RESULTS: Out of 61 deaths occurred during the period under analysis, 44 patients were included in the study. Patient age median was 28 months. The cause of death for all patients was multiple organ failure. Twenty-six patients (59%) were classified in group I (NRCPR and BD) and 18 (41%) in group II (W/WLS and DNR). Among patients of group II, 83% had a chronic and/or debilitating disease (p = 0.017; chi²). The prevalent reason for patient admission was the need for organ support (55%), both respiratory and cardiovascular. The median for duration of patient stay at the PICU was 5 days and at the hospital was 11 days. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of reason for patient admission or duration of PICU/hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of W/WLS and DNR deaths among ICU patients, thus suggesting therapeutic limitation for them. We were unable to evaluate the level of participation by the medical team and by the family in this decision making process.