ABSTRACT: A retrospective analysis (2000 to 2013) of cattle poisoning caused by toxic plants and other compounds was carried out in the Pampas region of Argentina by the Animal Health Group of INTA-EEA, Balcarce. During this period, 1263 reports of diseases of different etiologies (infectious, parasitic, toxic, metabolic and miscellaneous) were recorded in cattle, by collecting anamnestic, clinical and pathological information. A toxic etiology was diagnosed in 21.1% of these reports. Iatrogenic poisoning caused by ionophores was the most frequently recorded etiology. Consumption of toxic plants (Wedelia glauca, Solanum glaucophyllum, among others), mycotoxins (Claviceps purpurea, Claviceps paspali, Epichloë coenophiala, among others), and plants producing cyanide and nitrates/nitrites were also commonly diagnosed. The high frequency of toxic episodes and the difficulties in their diagnosis by practitioners in our livestock production systems emphasizes the importance of this report.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has a limited value in both detecting and staging ovarian cancer, although it can provide aditional information to conventional imaging. PET cannot replace the "second-look" surgical procedures because it frequently misses micronodular disease. Nevertheless, PET imaging shows a high accuracy for detecting recurrent or residual disease, so it should be recommended as the diagnostic technique of choice in these situations. The new PET-CT hybrid cameras will increase diagnostic accuracy and will probably replace dedicated PET scanners. PET is a useful non-invasive method to assess the stage of cervical cancer prior to therapy, and may help to plan surgery or irradiation. Follow-up with PET studies allows to an early and accurate diagnosis of residual or recurrent disease with better results than conventional imaging. It can also provide useful data to predict prognosis and monitorize treatment response, in order to identify high-risk patients who will receive more aggressive therapies. Further investigations are needed to assess the value of PET in the cancer of the uterine body.

La Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones (PET) tiene un valor limitado en el diagnóstico primario y estadificación del cáncer de ovario, aunque puede complementar a los métodos convencionales. Tampoco puede sustituir a la "second-look" dada su baja sensibilidad para detectar enfermedad micronodular. No obstante, en aquellos pacientes en los que se sospeche recurrencia, la resolución de la PET es muy alta y debe considerarse en los casos de marcador CA 125 elevado y técnicas de imágenes convencionales negativas. Los nuevos equipos híbridos PET-TAC mejoran el rendimiento diagnóstico y parece que esta técnica acabará imponiéndose a las cámaras PET dedicadas. En el cáncer de cérvix, la PET es una técnica útil en la estadificación pre-terapéutica no invasiva de la enfermedad, ayudando a una adecuada planificación tanto quirúrgica como radioterápica. El seguimiento con PET permite un diagnóstico precoz y exacto de la enfermedad recurrente, con resultados superiores a las técnicas convencionales. Asimismo, aporta datos predictores en cuanto al pronóstico y a la respuesta a la terapia que pueden ser útiles para identificar aquellos pacientes que precisen de intervenciones más agresivas. La aplicación de la PET en el cáncer de cuerpo uterino, aunque prometedora, necesita de mayor estudio para su validación.