Apendicectomia pelas técnicas de ligadura simples e de sepultamento sem ligadura do coto apendicular: estudo comparativo em coelhos

OBJETIVO: Comparar as técnicas operatórias de ligadura simples (A) e de sepultamento sem ligadura do coto apendicular (B). MÉTODO: Foram utilizados 36 coelhos da linhagem Nova Zelândia, machos, distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos de 18, divididos respectivamente em subgrupos de seis animais cada um e praticada a eutanásia decorrido o tempo pós-operatório de sete, 14 e 21 dias. Foram avaliados macroscopicamente conforme a ferida operatória estivesse limpa, tivessem abscesso ou deiscência e a cavidade abdominal pela presença de aderências peritoneais. Foi feita avaliação histológica pela presença ou ausência dos seguintes parâmetros: infiltrado inflamatório agudo e crônico, fibrose, granuloma de corpo estranho, necrose e integridade da camada mucosa. RESULTADOS: Nos achados macroscópicos não foram observadas diferenças significantes no sétimo, 14º e 21º P.O. quanto à presença de abscesso e deiscência da ferida operatória entre os grupos A e B; o mesmo ocorreu quanto à presença de aderências peritoneais entre alças intestinais. Nos achados microscópicos houve diferença significante no 21º P.O. quanto ao infiltrado inflamatório agudo maior no grupo B, e à integridade da camada mucosa, maior no A. Na contagem de fibras colágenas houve diferença significante no 21º P.O., maior no grupo B. CONCLUSÃO: Do ponto de vista histológico a técnica de ligadura simples é superior à de sepultamento sem ligadura do coto apendicular.

Tratamento conservador do platrão apendicular

OBJETIVO: O plastrão apendicular representa 6% dos casos de apendicite aguda e seu tratamento é controverso. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os resultados obtidos com o tratamento conservador do plastrão apendicular, instituído a partir de fevereiro de 1992. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 36 pacientes com diagnóstico clínico, laboratorial e ultrassonográfico de plastrão apendicular atendidos no Serviço de Cirurgia Geral do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de Brasília no período de 1992 a 2001. Os pacientes eram submetidos a tratamento com antibióticos e observação clínica da remissão dos sintomas. RESULTADOS: O tratamento conservador foi efetivo em 33 pacientes (92%), com remissão dos sintomas e do tumor palpável, bem como da leucocitose. Após período médio de 11,5 semanas, os pacientes foram submetidos à apendicectomia eletiva e quatro pacientes apresentaram infecção superficial de sítio cirúrgico. A análise histopatológica revelou persistência do quadro agudo em sete pacientes (21%). CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento conservador do plastrão apendicular, seguido de apendicectomia eletiva mostrou-se efetivo na maioria dos pacientes, evitando as complicações graves da abordagem cirúrgica precoce.

Anatomo-radiographic description of the axial skeleton of the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)

The aim of this study was to describe the axial skeleton of a wild Brazilian carnivorous, the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous). Five specimens of crab-eating fox were previously unfrozen for radiographic exams and their bones went through dissection and chemical maceration. This animal presents seven cervical vertebrae, and from the third on, they become shorter and wider than the other ones e the spinous process was makeable from the fifth cervical vertebrae on. There are thirteen thoracic vertebrae and the spinous process of the lumbar vertebrae, which are seven, decreases from the fifth on. The sacrum is formed by two vertebrae and there are twenty or twenty one caudal vertebrae. It can be concluded that the crab-eating fox axial skeleton is similar to that of the domestic dog.

Hemisincarpia e nectário apendicular enfocados através de ontogênese floral em Mandevilla velame (A. St.-Hil.) Pichon, Apocynoideae

Mandevilla velame (A. St.-Hil.) Pichon é um subarbusto com peculiar indumento albo-lanoso e flores vistosas brancas. Objetivando contribuir para o conhecimento morfológico desta espécie, estádios de desenvolvimento de suas flores foram documentados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura - MEV. Constatou-se que a iniciação das sépalas é unidirecional, espiralada dextrorsa, compondo a prefloração quincuncial. Os primórdios das pétalas e dos estames iniciam-se num domo pentagonal. Antes da corola se fechar, seus lobos se sobrepõem em prefloração imbricada dextrorsa. Os primórdios estaminais apresentam-se inicialmente como domos convexo-arredondados, depois se tornam ovais e os filetes tomam forma por crescimento intercalar. O gineceu formado é hemisincárpico com uma base congenitamente conata. Discute-se sobre a origem mista do gineceu, questiona-se a " apocarpia secundária" apontada para a família e propõe-se um novo padrão ontogenético. O nectário é apendicular, sendo constituído por um anel profundamente pentalobado congenitamente adnato ao ovário. Este resultado difere do que é referido para outra espécie do gênero. Adaptações metodológicas para estudos em MEV são apresentadas.

Bone mineral density of rat femurs after hindlimb unloading and different physical rehabilitation programs

Bone weakening can occur due to the absence of load on the skeleton or even short periods of decreased physical activity. Therefore, musculoskeletal diseases that involve temporary immobilization by casts, inactivity or tension increases the risk of fractures. Physical activity is the most studied procedure both to prevent damage and to restore bone structure. The present study aimed at evaluating, by bone densitometry on rat femurs, the influence of hindlimb unloading and later running activity on treadmill or free movement. Sixty-four Wistar rats were used, aged 65 days with a mean corporal mass of 316.11g, randomly divided into eight experimental groups: group 1, the suspended control with seven animals under hindlimb unloading regimen for 28 days, then euthanized; groups 2 and 3, the trained suspended comprising of 7 and five animals, respectively, subjected to hindlimb unloading for 28 days, followed by treadmill exercise for 28 days (group 2) or 56 days (group 3), then euthanized; groups 4 and 5, designated free suspended, comprised of 7 animals each under hindlimb unloading regimen for 28 days followed by free activity in cages for 28 days (group 4) or 56 days (group 5), then euthanized; groups 6, 7 and 8, negative controls, each with 8 animals allowed to free activity in cages and euthanized at the ages of 93, 121 and 149 days, respectively. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the left femur was analyzed by bone densitometry. Unloading by tail-suspension decreased BMD while treadmill training and free activity in cages promoted its recovery in a similar way and over time.

Effects of severe protein restriction in levels of parasitemia and in mortality of mice accutely infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

Adult mice were submitted to different degrees of protein restriction for five weeks (4.75, 9.5,14.25 and 19% of protein in isocaloric diets with normal content of mineral and vitamins), being subsequently infected with two strains of Trypanosoma cruzi: 10(5) trypomastigotes of Y strain or 14(5) trypomastigotes of CL strain. The same diet was maintained for all animals and the infection wasfollowed up by evaluation of blood parasites, mortality and intensity of lesions in the heart and skeleton muscle. Only severe protein restriction (4.75%) induced decrease in resistance to the infection with both the Y and CL strains of T. cruzi, which resulted in higher parasitemia and mortality. The inflammatory lesions in heart and skeleton muscle were less extensive in groups with severe protein restriction despite the increased number of parasite in muscle cells. Depression of immune mechanisms could be responsiblefor the reduced resistance and reduced inflammatory reaction after T. cruzi infection in severely protein restricted animals.

The effect of intravenous zoledronic acid on glucocorticoid-induced multiple vertebral fractures in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of lupus patients, and adverse effects, which include osteoporosis and associated fractures, are frequent. Treatment of osteoporosis of young patients should be effective and not harmful to bone growth and remodeling. Bisphosphonates are drugs that decrease the incidence of bone fractures, but their use in juvenile patients is still controversial because of their possible side effects on the growing skeleton. However, recently published studies showed that linear growth continued normally after treatment with these drugs, and there was no excessive suppression of bone remodeling or mineralization defects. Zoledronic acid is a new intravenous bisphosphonate that has been approved by the US FDA for use with hypercalcemia of malignancies and might be an effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. The authors report a case of a young girl with systemic lupus who developed multiple vertebral collapses due to glucocorticoid therapy, and zoledronic acid was used producing significant clinical and densitometric improvement.

Acanthotylotra alvarengai (Porifera, Demospongiae) new genus and species of sponge from Tocantins river, Pará State, Brazil

Acanthotylotra a new monotypic genus of freshwater sponge is defined. Its sole species A. alvarengai sp. nov. is described based upon microscopic specimens recovered from the Tocantins river, Pará State, Brazil, when the deep rocky substrate was temporarily exposed downstream from the dam at the time it was closed for lake formation. A unique set of megascleres, allied to the paucity of spongin, the renieroid skeleton and the fact that gemmules or new specimens remain undetected, call for the proposition of a new monospecific genus to be retained as incertae sedis until new larger and probably gemmuliferous specimens come to be found.

Osteological alterations in the tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis (cetacea, delphinidae)

We present a description of osteological alterations observed in the tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853) from a sample of 43 specimens. Fractures were the most frequent alterations in the sample (16%), occurring in various regions of the skeleton such as the ribs, hyoid apparatus, transverse and neural processes of vertebrae and scapula. We observed three individuals with ankylosis between the cervical vertebrae and two individuals with morphological changes (cranio-caudally elongated hemal arch and flattened cranial margin of the scapula). The only observed pathology was a case of osteomyelitis in the left dentary, which caused the loss of teeth, deformation of the associated alveoli and the formation of a medial fistula (lingual) for drainage of purulent material. This represents the first record of osteomyelitis in S. fluviatilis.

Morphological Aspects of the Larval Instars of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera, Calliphoridae) Reared in the Laboratory

In order to study the morphology of young Chrysomya albiceps forms, newly hatched larvae were collected at 2 hr intervals, during the first 56 hr; after this time the collection was made at 12 hr intervals. For identification and drawing, larvae were placed between a slide and a coverslip. The cephalopharyngeal skeletons along with the first and last segments were cut off for observation of their structures and spiracles. The larvae present microspines, which are distributed randomly throughout the 12 segments of the body surface; the cephalopharyngeal skeleton varies in shape and extent of sclerotization according to larval instar; the second and third instars have relatively long processes (tubercles) on the dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces, with microspine circles on the terminal portion

Behavior of Biomphalaria glabrata Say, 1818 (Gastropoda: Planorbidae): I. Morphophysiology of the Mantle Cavity

Using longitudinal and transverse anatomical sections, we observed that the three cristae of the mantle of Biomphalaria glabrata (renal, rectal and dorsolateral cristae) divide the mantle cavity into three chambers which we designated air or pulmonary chamber, water inflow chamber and water outflow chamber. Using videotape filming, we observed the inflow and outflow of air and water into and from the mantle cavity and we related their probable functions such as flotation, oxygen reservoir and transport, excreta circulation and elimination, water skeleton, and modification of specific weight. To determine whether the air bubble may function as a physical gill in this species we submitted three groups of snails to different systems in which water contained the same level of dissolved oxygen whereas the gas phases were atmospheric air, pure nitrogen or pure oxygen. We observed the following parameters: time of permanence on the surface, time of immersion, and frequency at which the snails reached the surface. These results did not demonstrate a physical gill function; morphological analysis of the mantle cavity indicates this possibility

The presence of Fasciola hepatica (Liver-fluke) in humans and cattle from a 4,500 Year old archaeological site in the Saale-Unstrut Valley, Germany

During an excavation of a site of the corded ware culture in the Saale-Unstrut-Valley (ca. 3000 BC) in Germany, a soil sample from the pelvis of a human skeleton was studied under palaeoparasitological aspects. Eggs of the trematode Fasciola hepatica and of the nematode genus Capillaria were found. This is the first case of a direct association of a F. hepatica-infestation to both a prehistoric human skeleton and domesticated animal remains. Sheep and cattle bones were present at the same site and F. hepatica eggs were found in bovine samples. This strongly points toward an existing infection cycle, involving humans as a final host.

Bone tuberculosis in Roman Period Pannonia (western Hungary)

The purpose of this study was to analyse a skeleton (adult female, 25-30 years) that presented evidence of tuberculous spondylitis. The skeleton, dated from the Roman Period (III-VI centuries), was excavated near the town of Győr, in western Hungary. The skeleton was examined by gross observation supplemented with mycolic acid and proteomic analyses using MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry. The biomolecular analyses supported the morphological diagnosis.

Condromalácia de patela: comparação entre os achados em aparelhos de RM de alto e baixo campo magnético

OBJETIVO: Comparar os aparelhos de ressonância magnética de baixo campo e de alto campo para estudo da cartilagem articular da patela. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo usando as seqüências GRE 2D, GRE 3D, FSE T2 e STIR (baixo campo) e TSE T2 SPIR. Cada seqüência foi analisada separadamente para o estudo da cartilagem, sem o conhecimento dos dados do paciente e do resultado das outras seqüências, sendo atribuído grau de lesão de 0 a 3 e descrita a sua localização. Os resultados de concordância e discordância foram analisados pelos testes de Kappa e McNemar. RESULTADOS: Na faceta medial houve baixas concordâncias e as discordâncias mostraram significativa superestimação. Na faceta lateral houve boas concordâncias e as discordâncias não foram significativas. No ápice houve boas concordâncias e as discordâncias mostraram significativa subestimação. CONCLUSÃO: A seqüência STIR teve a melhor concordância com a seqüência TSE T2 SPIR. Lesões de alto grau são mais bem caracterizadas pelas seqüências do aparelho de baixo campo. Áreas de aumento de sinal dificultam o estudo da cartilagem da faceta medial da patela no aparelho de baixo campo.

Computed tomography findings of paracoccidiodomycosis in musculoskeletal system

Objective: To evaluate musculoskeletal involvement in paracoccidioidomycosis at computed tomography. Materials and Methods: Development of a retrospective study based on a review of radiologic and pathologic reports in the institution database. Patients with histopathologically confirmed musculoskeletal paracoccidioidomycosis and submitted to computed tomography were included in the present study. The imaging findings were consensually described by two radiologists. In order to avoid bias in the analysis, one patient with uncountable bone lesions was excluded from the study. Results: A total of seven patients were included in the present study. A total of 18 bone lesions were counted. The study group consisted of 7 patients. A total number of 18 bone lesions were counted. Osteoarticular lesions were the first manifestation of the disease in four patients (57.14%). Bone lesions were multiple in 42.85% of patients. Appendicular and axial skeleton were affected in 85.71% and 42.85% of cases, respectively. Bone involvement was characterized by well-demarcated osteolytic lesions. Marginal osteosclerosis was identified in 72.22% of the lesions, while lamellar periosteal reaction and soft tissue component were present in 5.55% of them. One patient showed multiple small lesions with bone sequestra. Conclusion: Paracoccidioidomycosis can be included in the differential diagnosis of either single or multiple osteolytic lesions in young patients even in the absence of a previous diagnosis of pulmonary or visceral paracoccidioidomycosis