OBJECTIVES: To analyze and compare the evolution of hematological parameters and body iron content between exclusively breastfed late-preterm and term newborns during the first two months of life. METHODS: Cohort study. Weight, length, head circumference, body mass index, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation, serum iron and ferritin were measured in 25 late-preterm and 21 term newborns (at birth and at one and two months of age) who were exclusively breastfed. Statistical analysis: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test; and Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test. Significance: p<0.05. RESULTS: The corrected gestational ages of the late-preterm infants were 39.98 weeks at one month of life and 44.53 weeks at two months. Anthropometric measures and the body mass index increased over time (p<0.001) and hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes and body iron content decreased (p<0.001). Late-preterm infants at term corrected gestational age had reduced hemoglobin, hematocrit and reticulocyte concentrations, and reduced total iron-binding capacity (p<0.001) and serum iron (p = 0.0034) compared with values observed in term newborns at birth. Late-preterm newborns at a corrected gestational age of one month post-term had hemoglobin (p = 0.0002), hematocrit (p = 0.0008), iron (p<0.0001) and transferrin saturation (p<0.001) levels lower than those of term newborns at one month of age and a higher total iron-binding capacity (p = 0.0018). Ferritin did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Exclusively breastfed late-preterm newborns presented greater reductions in hemoglobin/hematocrit and lower iron stores at a corrected gestational age of one month post-term than did term newborns, suggesting specific iron supplementation needs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of asymptomatic, histologically proven prostatitis in men with symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia and to observe the correlation between asymptomatic prostatitis and prostate specific antigen (PSA) density. INTRODUCTION: The incidence of type IV prostatitis is unknown. There is a tendency to correlate the presence of inflammatory prostatitis with an elevation of PSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 2000 to January 2006, 183 patients who underwent surgical treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia as a result of obstructive or irritative symptoms were prospectively studied. In accordance with the histology findings, these patients were divided into two groups: group I included patients with the presence of histological prostatitis and group II included patients with the absence of histological prostatitis. The mean PSA densities were compared. RESULTS: Histological evidence of prostatitis was observed in 145 patients. In this group, the mean PSA density was 0.136 ± 0.095. In 38 cases, there was no evidence of inflammation upon histological examination of the surgical samples. In these 38 cases, the mean PSA density was 0.126 ± 0.129. No statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups; the p-value is 0.124. CONCLUSION: Abnormal PSA density should not be attributed to the inflammatory prostatitis process.

A dissecção aguda da aorta representa uma das situações clínicas mais dramáticas na gravidez. As dificuldades do diagnóstico e a limitação da investigação invasiva elevam a taxa de mortalidade pela doença. A escassez de experiências relatadas na literatura não permite determinar uma conduta clínica e/ou cirúrgica frente à dissecção de aorta durante a gravidez. Apresentamos um caso de dissecção aguda da aorta em paciente cursando a 33ª semana de gestação e discutimos sobre a conduta diante das peculiaridades da manifestação da doença.

Acute aortic dissection is one of the most dreaded clinical conditions during pregnancy. Difficulties in establishing a diagnosis and limitations regarding invasive studies increase mortality rates associated with the disease. The limited experience reported in the literature does not allow the determination of guidelines for clinical and/or surgical management of aortic dissection in pregnancy. The authors present a case of acute aortic dissection in a woman in her 33rd week of gestation and discuss the diagnostic approach considering the peculiarities of the disease’s manifestation.