Costs of medical care attributable to tobacco consumption at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), Morelos

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost of medical care for the major diseases attributable to tobacco consumption at the IMSS, Morelos. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cost of illness (COI) analysis was carried out from the perspective of the health provider. An expert panel characterized medical care in primary and secondary care levels according to severity of disease. The smoking attributable fraction (SAF) by disease was used to derive costs attributable to tobacco consumption. The unitary cost was valuated in 2001 Mexican pesos (MP). RESULTS: The estimated annual average cost of medical care (diagnosis and first year of treatment) was 79,530 MP for acute myocardial infarction (AMI); 73,303 MP for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); and 102,215 MP for lung cancer (LC). The annual total cost of medical care for IMSS was 147,390 688 MP.The total annual cost of medical care attributable to tobacco consumption corresponds to dollars 124 million MP, which is equivalent to 7.3% of the annual budget of the Morelos Delegation. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the high medical costs associated with smoking. A repetition of this study at the national level is recommended in order to support decision-makers in strengthening public policies to control tobacco use in Mexico.     

Pick bodies in a family with presenilin-1 Alzheimer's disease

Presenilin-1 (PS-1) mutations can cause Pick's disease without evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We describe a family with a PS-1 M146L mutation and both Pick bodies and AD. Sarkosyl-insoluble hyperphosphorylated tau showed three bands consistent with AD, although dephosphorylation showed primarily three-repeat isoforms. M146L mutant PS-1 may predispose to both Pick's disease and AD by affecting multiple intracellular pathways involving tau phosphorylation and amyloid metabolism.     

Endovascular occlusion of direct carotid cavernous fistula with detachable balloons: usefulness of 3D angiography

The objective of this study is to show rotational 3D angiography findings and their usefulness in the occlusion of carotid cavernous fistulas (CCFs) using detachable balloons. Five patients with direct CCF were retrospectively reviewed for details of interventional procedures and 2D and 3D angiography findings. Pretherapeutic 2D and 3D angiograms (n=2) were compared to evaluate the size of the fistula and the relative size of the cavernous sinus with respect to the fistula. Postinflation-predetachment (n=3) and postdetachment (n=4) 2D and 3D angiograms were compared in each stage to evaluate the relative location of the balloon to the internal carotid artery (ICA), presence of a pseudoaneurysm, and relative size of the balloon to the fistula. Pretherapeutic 2D and 3D angiograms were equally effective in showing the fistula and relative size of the cavernous sinus. But, 3D angiography with cut images at arbitrary viewing angles clearly visualized the 3D relations between the ICA, fistula, and cavernous sinus. Both postinflation-predetachment 2D and 3D images in two patients equally showed a contrast-filled pseudoaneurysm outside the ICA and intraluminal location of the balloon. However, only the 3D images showed no difference in size of the balloon compared with the fistula, which was relevant to traction-induced instability in the remaining one patient. Both postdetachment 2D and 3D angiograms were equal in terms of showing ICA compromise (60%) in one patient and an extraluminal balloon location with complete fistular occlusion in two patients. In the remainder, a small pseudoaneurysm was identified only on 3D images. Three-dimensional angiography is a useful imaging tool for capturing the complex perifistular anatomy in the pretherapeutic stage, and for providing detailed information about the degree of balloon inflation and its location, the presence of a pseudoaneurysm, and the expected traction-induced instability in the predetachment stage. Postinflation-predetachment 3D angiography may therefore offer a chance to correct an erroneous manipulation that would otherwise lead to an incomplete procedural outcome and disastrous balloon migration.     

Short-term outcome of intracranial aneurysms treated with polyglycolic acid/lactide copolymer-coated coils compared to historical controls treated with bare platinum coils: a single-center experience

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aneurysm recanalization is an innate problem in endovascular treatment of aneurysms with coils. A coated coil system, covered with a bioabsorbable polymeric material (polyglycolic acid/lactide copolymer, PGLA), was developed to accelerate intra-aneurysmal clot organization and fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the PGLA-coated coils in patients with intracranial aneurysms and to compare the outcome with that of bare platinum coils. PATIENTS AND TECHNIQUES: Fifty-one patients harboring 56 intracranial aneurysms underwent endovascular embolization with the PGLA-coated coils. In the control group were 78 consecutive patients, harboring 87 aneurysms, who underwent coil embolization with bare platinum coils. The authors compared coil volume, packing attenuation, degree of occlusion of aneurysms, procedure-related complications, and follow-up results between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The PGLA-coil group showed comparable data regarding rate of total or near-total occlusion of the aneurysm, incidence procedure-related thromboembolism, and management outcome. Mean coil volume deployed and packing attenuation of the PGLA-coil group were significantly higher than those of the bare-coil group (P = .0026 and P < .0001, respectively). Radiologic follow-up evaluation revealed recanalization in 14 of 39 aneurysms (major recanalization in 5 [13%] and minor recanalization in 9 [23%]) among the PGLA-coil group and in 29 of 64 aneurysms (major recanalization in 9 [14%] and minor recanalization in 20 [31%]) among the bare-coil group. CONCLUSION: In this study, the incidence of recanalization was not different in aneurysms treated with PGLA-coated coils compared with historical controls treated with bare platinum coils.     

Serial MR imaging findings of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis: a case report

We report a patient with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis with a focus on serial MR imaging findings. Initial MR imaging of a 42-year-old woman revealed a 2.5-cm focal nonhemorrhagic lesion in the left thalamus and internal capsule. Twenty-four days later, fever and altered consciousness developed, and MR imaging showed huge masslike lesions in both frontal lobes, mainly involving the white matter and the genu of the corpus callosum, with massive edematous swelling that contained multifocal small hemorrhages. Most lesions showed high apparent diffusion coefficient value with peripheral small areas of low apparent diffusion coefficient. On follow-up MR imaging obtained 49 days after initial MR imaging, the lesions progressed with increase in extent and development of rim-enhancing necrosis, despite steroid therapy. Following stereotactic biopsy and subsequent high-dose steroid treatment, the patient recovered with some neurologic sequelae. MR imaging obtained at 72 and 126 days revealed residual necrosis and cerebromalacia in the both frontal lobes.     

Genetische Beratung und ihre Normen

Zusammenfassung Die genetische Beratung stellt einen, wenn nicht den wesentlichen Schwerpunkt der medizinischen Genetik dar. Es handelt sich meist um die Beschäftigung mit Schicksal und Unvermeidlichkeit, mit grundsätzlich chronischen, lebenslangen gesundheitlichen Risiken und Belastungen und die regelmäßige Einbeziehung von Partnern und anderen Angehörigen. Die Handhabung dieser Beratung wird häufig kontrovers diskutiert. Sinnvolle Beratung kann nur in immer neuer Berücksichtigung individueller Gegebenheiten stattfinden. Weit gehende Übereinstimmung besteht darüber, dass die rein genetische Indikation zur prädiktiven Diagnostik unbehandelbarer Krankheiten auf Erwachsene beschränkt bleiben muss. Die damit verbundene psychologische Belastung muss antizipiert werden und stellt eine Indikation zu begleitender psychosozialer Hilfestellung dar. Die Ausdehnung der genetischen Analyse auf die häufigen multifaktoriellen Krankheiten wird in absehbarer Zeit einen großen Teil der Bevölkerung mit der Werteproblematik der medizinischen Genetik konfrontieren. Dies muss sich in der Aus- und Fortbildung der Ärzte und in den allgemeinen Erziehungsinhalten der Gesellschaft niederschlagen.     

p53 and p21 genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE: Recently, there has been considerable interest in the association of specific cancers with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In this regard, genetic polymorphism at codon 72 (CCC/proline to CGC/arginine [Pro(72)Arg]) of the p53 gene is one of the most frequently studied subjects. An association between endometrial cancer and the polymorphism at codon 31 (AGC/serine to AGA/arginine [Ser(31)Arg]) of the p21 gene, which is known to be a downstream mediator of p53, has also been reported. METHODS: The authors designed a hospital-based case-control study of 95 endometrial cancer patients and 285 non-cancer controls. For the determination of p53 and p21 polymorphism, allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay was applied, respectively. RESULTS: We found statistically significant differences in the frequency of the p53 and p21 genotypes between these two groups (P < 0.001), respectively. The p53 genotypes containing the Pro allele were significantly associated with endometrial cancer with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.10-6.04). Also, homozygous carriers of the p21 Ser allele showed a substantially increased risk of developing endometrial cancer (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.59-4.51) as compared to homozygous and heterozygous carriers of the Arg allele. In addition, the combination of the pro allele containing genotypes of p53 and the Ser homozygous genotype of p21 posed a remarkably increased risk (OR 9.55, 95% CI 4.30-21.24) of endometrial cancer development. These significant differences were maintained throughout the groups after they were stratified by menopausal status. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that there is a significant association between the genetic polymorphisms of p53, p21, and specific combinations of the at-risk genotypes of these genes and the risk of developing endometrial cancer in Korean women.