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Biomedical subjects

A Guerrero

Publications and source records attributed to A Guerrero.

245 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

[Serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease. A pending problem].

We analyze the experience in serologic diagnosis of Lyme's borreliosis. From a total of 551 patients studied from 1987 to 1989, we further evaluate 80 cases with erythema chronicum migrans or a clinical diagnosis of Lyme's disease and positive serological tests. The techniques used were IFI, ELISA1 (Whittaker Bioproducts) and ELISA2 (MarDx Diagnostics). Serological tests results were evaluated in relation to clinical data. Five cases were excluded because of no-specific symptoms. There were 20 false-positive results, mainly due to other infections (HIV infection, tuberculosis, Mediterranean spotted fever and syphilis). Fifty-five patients were considered clinically of having Lyme's disease. IFI test was positive in 81.8% of all the 55 cases, ELISA2 in 58.4% of 53 cases tested and ELISA1 in 23% of 43 cases tested. Correlation between IFI and ELISA2 positive test was seen in 45% of cases. Specificity of all tests was higher than 97%. The study shows that sensitivity for all three techniques used was not optimal, and also there are some differences in their results. However, specificity was adequate.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

[Lupus anticoagulant and recurrent transient ischemic attacks].

Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is an immunoglobulin that has been found in association with many diseases and shows an in vitro anticoagulant activity but is clinically associated with thrombosis. We report a patient with a diagnosis of autoimmune disease who developed recurrent transient ischemic attacks; after through investigation of other possible conditions and pathogenetical mechanisms, LA was the only causative factor that was found. We feel that LA should be systematically investigated in cerebrovascular disease, particularly in young patients without other known risk factors, to determine its true incidence and the correct therapeutic approach.

Blood Coagulation Factors↗

[Tuberculosis of the otorhinolaryngologic region: laryngeal and extra-laryngeal forms].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess all patients with ENT symptoms whose histologic and/or microbiologic diagnosis confirmed tuberculosis. METHODS: All the anatomopathologic studies performed in the ENT unit in the authors' hospital in which the presence of acid-alcohol resistant bacilli were observed. All cases of cervical adenitis were not included. RESULTS: Eighteen patients with the following localizations were studied: 14 laryngeal tuberculosis and 4 extra-laryngeal tuberculosis (2 oropharyngeal, 1 otic and 1 sinusal). In the laryngeal forms, all patients were male except for one, and all were smokers. The duration of the symptoms was greater than 3 months in all the cases. Unilateral cord involvement was most commonly found, and in 2 cases this was associated with carcinoma of the vocal cord. Twenty-nine percent did not present with coincident pulmonary tuberculosis. None of the extra-laryngeal forms showed pulmonary involvement. All the patients were women and only 1 was smoker, the symptomatology was greater than 3 months in all cases and all required biopsy for achieving diagnosis. The evolution with medical treatment was favorable in all cases. During the same time period, 2300 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were diagnosed in the authors' hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis of the upper respiratory tract is infrequent. Pulmonary involvement is common, although in this series this was only found in 71% of all laryngeal forms. Diagnosis is difficult, except in cases of coinciding pulmonary involvement and usually requires surgery for biopsy. Response to medical treatment is usually good.

Adult↗