Characteristics of Contraceptive Use in Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Objective To know the characteristics of contraceptive use in Sao Paulo State collected by the Demographic and Health Survey （DHS） conducted in 1996. Methods Data of Sao Paulo in 1996 were analyzed compared with the previous DHS carried on in 1986focusing on Sao Paulo State. Contraceptive use among married or cohabiting women by age, number of children and schooling was closely examined. Age and timing of female sterilization were also analyzed. Results The results showed that unlike Brazil there was a stability of female sterilization in Sao Paulo State during 1986 and 1996. There was a pattern in Sao Paulo： up to 30 years old the pill was the most used contraceptive, after 30 there was a predominance of female sterilization, which increased with the number of children and decreased with schooling. The use of male methods had also increased in the 1986 and 1996 period, being greater in Sao Paulo than in Brazil. Sao Paulo also presented more diversity in the use of reversible contraceptives. Conclusions The predominant two contraceptive methods in Brazil and Sao Paulo changed from 1986 to 1996, i.e..from pill to female sterilization.     

Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: Ventilation perfusion scintigraphy versus helical computed tomography pulmonary angiography

The present study compared the accuracy of ventilation perfusion scintigraphy (VQS) and CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. This was a prospective observational study of 112 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) who could be studied with both investigations within 24 h. Results were compared to final diagnosis at completion of 6-month follow up, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in 27 referred patients (24%). The sensitivity and specificity of VQS and CTPA were similar to that reported from the literature. A normal VQ scan had the highest negative predictive value (100%), while a high-probability VQ scan had the highest positive predictive value (92%). There was no overall difference (area under the ROC curve (AUC)) between VQS (AUC (95% CI) = 0.82 (0.75,0.89)) and CTPA (AUC = 0.88 (0.81,0.94)) for the diagnosis of PE. Among patients with abnormal chest X-rays, CTPA (AUC 0.90 (0.83,0.97)) appeared somewhat better than VQS (AUC 0.78 (0.68,0.88)) but this difference did not reach statistical significance. In this instance, CTPA is at least as accurate as VQS and may provide an opportunity to make alternative diagnoses.     

BNP and ANP as diagnostic and predictive markers in heart failure with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic heart failure (CHF) with systolic dysfunction is increasing. Plasma natriuretic peptides have been envisaged as diagnostic and predictive markers. AIMS: To investigate the relationship between the levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and A-type natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the clinical and functional parameters of CHF in outpatients with CHF at baseline, compared with normal healthy controls; to find out the differences in a randomised controlled trial between patients treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, captopril, or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), irbesartan. These differences were assessed throughout the six-month treatment period and at the sixth month. METHODS: Plasma BNP (pmol/L) and ANP (pmol/L) were determined in 68 hypertensive patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, NYHA class III-IV and ejection fraction (EF) < or = 40%, and in 26 normal controls. Statistical analysis for BNP and ANP was done by Students t-test. The patient group was randomly subdivided into two subgroups of 34 patients, each treated with either an ARB, irbesartan, or an ACE inhibitor (ACE-I), captopril. BNP and ANP were measured in both subsamples and correlated with clinical, functional and neurohormonal parameters throughout a follow-up period of six months and at the sixth month. RESULTS: The mean EF in the patient sample was 33.43+/-6.52% and in the controls was 61.96 +/-3.53% (p=0.000). The mean BNP (pmol/L) in patients was 44.78+/-54.36 and in the controls was 7.12+/-8.28 (p=0.000) and the mean ANP (pmol/L) was 30.32+/-25.97 in patients and 11.18+/-7.92 in controls (p=0.000). A statistically significant difference was found between patients and healthy controls. Significant correlations were found between natriuretic peptides and EF. Between the baseline phase and the sixth month, BNP and ANP decreased significantly in the ARB group. At the sixth month, both BNP and ANP were lower in the ARB group. Evidence of clinical benefit was found with both ARB or ACE-I treatment throughout the six months, with patients moving from classes III and IV to class II NYHA. Improvement of EF was also found, with transition of patients with lower EF (even <30%) to higher values. EF was higher in the ARB group at the sixth month. CONCLUSIONS: BNP and ANP can be useful diagnostic tools in hypertensive CHF patients with moderate-to-severe LV dysfunction. The decrease in BNP and ANP in the ARB group throughout six months, as well as the lower value at the sixth month, suggest a prognostic value of these parameters.     

Clinico‐genetic aspects of a pediatric non‐neurofibromatosis type 1 malignant triton tumor with loss of chromosome X

Malignant triton tumor (MTT) is an aggressive peripheral nerve sheath tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Less than 100 cases have been described, being mostly male children with type 1 neurofibromatosis. We report a 6‐year‐old female with MTT and no diagnostic criteria for neurofibromatosis type 1. Cytogenetic analysis showed a 46,X,‐X[4]/46,XX[16] karyotype. She underwent a transfemoral amputation and chemotherapy and is free of disease 15 months after diagnosis. The few cytogenetic studies of MTT described in the literature have been inconclusive. Further cytogenetic analyses are needed to understand the role of chromosome X monosomy in the pathogenesis of this rare tumor. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 1320–1323. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Coexistence of benign phyllodes tumor and invasive ductal carcinoma in distinct breasts: case report

This report describes a rare case of coexistence of benign phyllodes tumor, which measured 9 cm in the right breast, and invasive ductal carcinoma of 6 cm in the left breast, synchronous and independent, in a 66-year-old patient. The patient underwent a bilateral mastectomy due to the size of both lesions. Such situations are rare and usually refer to the occurrence of ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ when associated with malignant phyllodes tumors, and more often in ipsilateral breast or intra-lesional.