ABSTRACT Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, affects the spinal column in 0.5-2% of all cases, with the sacral column being a rare location typically observed only in adults. The case is reported of a 14-year-old boy from Juliaca (Puno, Peru) who presented with chronic lower back pain and cauda equina syndrome. He was initially attended to in Juliaca, and then transferred to the Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (Lima, Peru) with a diagnosis of sacral tumor. In magnetic resonance imaging, a multicystic tumor was seen with L5 and S1 lysis and instability. The surgical treatment was an L5- S2 laminectomy and extraction of multiple hydatid cysts followed by lumbopelvic stabilization with transpedicular screws. Post-operatively, he was prescribed albendazol (15 mg/kg/d) for six months. Hydatid cysts should be considered within the differential diagnosis when there are cystic lesions in the spinal column, particularly in endemic areas such as Peru.

RESUMEN La hidatidosis, causada por el Echinococcus granulosus, afecta a la columna vertebral en 0,5-2% del total de casos, siendo la columna sacra una ubicación rara, típica de personas en edad adulta. Se reporta el caso de un varón de 14 años oriundo de Juliaca (Puno, Perú) quien presentó lumbalgia crónica y síndrome de cauda equina. Atendido inicialmente en Juliaca, fue trasladado al Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (Lima, Perú) con el diagnóstico de tumoración sacra. En la resonancia magnética se mostró una tumoración multiquística con lisis del L5 y S1 e inestabilidad. El tratamiento quirúrgico fue una laminectomía L5-S2 y extracción de múltiples quistes de hidátide más estabilización lumbopélvica con tornillos transpediculares. En el posoperatorio se recetó albendazol (15 mg/kg/d) por el periodo de seis meses. Se debe considerar al quiste hidatídico dentro del diagnóstico diferencial cuando existan lesiones quísticas en la columna vertebral, sobre todo en regiones endémicas como el Perú.

Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, affects the spinal column in 0.5-2% of all cases, with the sacral column being a rare location typically observed only in adults. The case is reported of a 14-year-old boy from Juliaca (Puno, Peru) who presented with chronic lower back pain and cauda equina syndrome. He was initially attended to in Juliaca, and then transferred to the Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (Lima, Peru) with a diagnosis of sacral tumor. In magnetic resonance imaging, a multicystic tumor was seen with L5 and S1 lysis and instability. The surgical treatment was an L5-S2 laminectomy and extraction of multiple hydatid cysts followed by lumbopelvic stabilization with transpedicular screws. Post-operatively, he was prescribed albendazol (15 mg/kg/d) for six months. Hydatid cysts should be considered within the differential diagnosis when there are cystic lesions in the spinal column, particularly in endemic areas such as Peru.

La hidatidosis, causada por el Echinococcus granulosus, afecta a la columna vertebral en 0,5-2% del total de casos, siendo la columna sacra una ubicación rara, típica de personas en edad adulta. Se reporta el caso de un varón de 14 años oriundo de Juliaca (Puno, Perú) quien presentó lumbalgia crónica y síndrome de cauda equina. Atendido inicialmente en Juliaca, fue trasladado al Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (Lima, Perú) con el diagnóstico de tumoración sacra. En la resonancia magnética se mostró una tumoración multiquística con lisis del L5 y S1 e inestabilidad. El tratamiento quirúrgico fue una laminectomía L5-S2 y extracción de múltiples quistes de hidátide más estabilización lumbopélvica con tornillos transpediculares. En el posoperatorio se recetó albendazol (15 mg/kg/d) por el periodo de seis meses. Se debe considerar al quiste hidatídico dentro del diagnóstico diferencial cuando existan lesiones quísticas en la columna vertebral, sobre todo en regiones endémicas como el Perú.

OBJETIVO: Estima-se que haja aproximadamente 50.000 pessoas com a forma remitente-recorrente da esclerose múltipla na América Latina. Os algoritmos de tratamento norte-americanos e europeus não levam em consideração nossas peculiaridades regionais, nem a dificuldade no acesso ao tratamento por parte dos pacientes. MÉTODOS: O Fórum Latino-americano de Esclerose Múltipla é um grupo de especialistas independente e suprainstitucional, que avaliou as mais recentes evidências científicas sobre a eficácia e a segurança das drogas modificadoras do curso da doença. Foram avaliados também o acesso ao tratamento e os programas de farmacovigilância de cada um dos oito países representados no Fórum. RESULTADOS: Uma lista específica de recomendações baseadas em evidências científicas foi estabelecida para a América Latina. Também foram discutidas perspectivas de futuros tratamentos para esclerose múltipla. CONCLUSÕES: O presente estudo representou um esforço dos representantes de oito países latino-americanos em discutir um assunto que não pode ser adaptado para uso em nossa região diretamente a partir de recomendações de tratamento europeias ou norte-americanas.

OBJECTIVE: It is estimated that circa 50,000 individuals have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Latin America. European and North-American algorithms for the treatment of multiple sclerosis do not foresee our regional difficulties and the access of patients to treatment. METHODS: The Latin American Multiple Sclerosis Forum is an independent and supra-institutional group of experts that has assessed the latest scientific evidence regarding efficacy and safety of disease-modifying treatments. Accesses to treatment and pharmacovigilance programs for each of the eight countries represented at the Forum were also analyzed. RESULTS: A specific set of guidelines based upon evidence-based recommendations was designed for Latin America. Future perspectives of multiple sclerosis treatment were also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The present paper translated an effort from representatives of eight countries discussing a matter that cannot be adapted to our region directly from purely European and North-American guidelines for treatment.

Abstract By 1996 the "pay as you go" pension system in Bolivia had gone bankruptcy. An important Pension Reform was enforced the same year. This paper analyses some important characteristics of old pension system, which led the system to bankruptcy, and some relevant incentives included in new system, aimed at raising covertures of the long run security. Risk factors of new system are also discussed, specially fiscal insolvency. Long run social security in Bolivia has protected a very low proportion of the active labour force, both before and after pensions reform. However the new system has increased modestly the percentage of protected workers. In order to identify the determinants of probability of being insured a probit model was estimated. After pension's reform some variables as average of worked hours per day, years of work at the same working-place, and sex have been eliminated as predictors of the mentioned probability.

Resumen En 1996 el sistema de reparto estaba quebrado. La reforma de pensiones de ese año cambió el sistema de manera importante. En el presente trabajo se analiza las razones por las cuales el antiguo sistema estaba en quiebra a mediados de los años noventa; así como las características del nuevo sistema de pensiones, los incentivos que incluye para aumentar la cobertura del Sistema de Seguridad Social Obligatorio (SSO) y los riesgos a los que está expuesto, con particular hincapié en el de insolvencia fiscal. La cobertura del seguro social obligatorio de largo plazo ha sido reducida y si bien el nuevo sistema aumenta dicha cobertura, ésta ha permanecido en un porcentaje muy bajo de ocupados. Se estima una función probit para identificar los determinantes de la probabilidad de estar asegurado antes y después de la reforma, en la que se encontró que algunas variables como las horas trabajadas por día, la antigüedad en el empleo y el género de la persona dejan de ser relevantes para determinar la probabilidad de estar asegurado después de la introducción de la reforma.