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A Higuera

Publications and source records attributed to A Higuera.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Analysis of indirect signs of microprolactinoma at MR imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic reliability/value of microprolactinoma indirect signs at MRI. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A prospective study was carried out over 3 years on 26 women with microprolactinoma (MiP group) and 106 healthy female volunteers as a control group. Size, glandular morphology, pituitary stalk inclination and sellar bony floor erosion were measured and a comparative statistical analysis between both groups was performed. RESULTS: Patients from the MiP group showed a significantly bigger glandular size than women in the control group, although the glandular morphology did not present significant differences between both groups. Only 5% of normal glands measured over 7.5 mm in height and none of them reached 9 mm, while up to 42.3% of the MiP group scored over 7.5 mm and 19.2% over 9 mm. Mean stalk inclination for the MiP group was 4.6 +/- 3.1 degrees and 3.5 +/- 2.7 degrees for the control group with no significant differences. Five microprolactinomas were located on the glandular midline, 11 on the left side and ten on the right side. No relationship between the microadenoma location inside the gland and stalk inclination was found. From 21 microprolactinomas with eccentric location, 17 coincided with the sellar floor excavation; eccentric excavation presented significant differences between both groups, but not the central excavation. CONCLUSION: From all indirect sings of microprolactinoma analyzed in this study, only a gland height over 9 mm, and an eccentric sellar excavation of at least 3 mm are reliable signs to support its diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Prevalence of anti-Leishmania antibodies in parenteral drug addicts. Yield value of 2 study techniques].

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of antibodies anti-Leishmania in intravenous drug addict (IVDA) patients suspect of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and the diagnostic profitability of two tests for detecting anti-Leishmania antibodies were studied. METHODS: Serum samples corresponding to 91 healthy non IVDA individuals (group 1), 143 IVDA individuals attended in consultation for febrile illness and lymph node enlargement (group 2) with only one serum determination, and 42 IVDA individuals in whom sequential serologic study (group 3) was performed were analyzed. IgG and IgM antibodies were studied by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). The individuals of group 1 and 90 of those of group 2 (45 with anti-Leishmania IgG antibodies and 45 without by IIF) were simultaneously studied by ELISA to analyze IgG antibodies. RESULTS: No antibodies were detected in subjects from group 1 with the two techniques used. In group 2 IgG were detected in 43.3% of the patients (titer distribution: 46.8% at 1/32, 32.3% at 1/64 and > 1/64 in 21%). In group 3 seroconversion of IgG was found in 18 cases. In 6 patients IgM was observed: 3 from group 2 (with low titers of IgG) and the remaining pertained to group 3 being accompanied by seroconversion of specific IgG. In the remaining 15 patients of group 3 seroconversion of IgG did not accompany positive IgM. No association was found in the results obtained by IIF and ELISA (p = 0.3; chi 2). CONCLUSIONS: It was found that indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA techniques are complementary methods in the indirect diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis overall in the population of intravenous drug addicts. In this population acute disease may be manifested by IgG seroconversion with or without positive IgM although IgG seroconversion seems to be a more useful criteria given the greater number of patients in whom it is presented in this form. The high frequency of antileishmania antibodies in intravenous drug addict patients in Spain is of note.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Development and verification of the Spanish version of the "scanning system" psychiatric interview ("Questionnaires for clinical evaluation in neuropsychiatry"].

The SCAN System (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry) represents the latest stage in a 30 year line of development. It is a set of instruments aimed at assessing, measuring and classifying the psychopathology and behaviour associated with the mayor psychiatric disorders of adult life. The SCAN System has several components: the SCAN interview, the Glossary of differential definitions, the CATEGO5 program and the CAPSE (Computer Assisted PSE versión). This latest element is a computerised versión of the System, combining the SCAN's interview, Glossary and CATEGO5. The SCAN interview has 3 components, the tenth edition of the Present State Examination (PSE10), the Item Group Checklist (IGC) and the Clinical History Schedule (CHS), whose main features are described in the paper. The CATEGO5 suite of computer programs consists in a set of utilities concerned with data entry and diagnosis. The Entry program is used to enter data recorded manually during a SCAN interview and the diagnosis programs derive diagnosis according to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R/DSM-IV criteria. This report analyses the main methods and results of the "Field Trials" that took place in 20 Centres of different countries. These studies showed that the diagnosis and symptoms scores have a high degree of reliability and that this is also applicable to the spanish version. In conclusion, we consider that the SCAN System is once of the more suitable psychiatric diagnostic instruments currently available.

Humans↗