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D Magro Ledesma

Publications and source records attributed to D Magro Ledesma.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

[The current clinical spectrum of pulmonary thromboembolism].

BACKGROUND. Mortality in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) decreases considerable when it is diagnosed early. The suspicion based on clinical and complementary data is essential for an early diagnosis. METHODS. Retrospective review of the clinical features in patients diagnosed of PTE in an Internal Medicine department from January 1993 to December 1999. RESULTS. A total of 117 patients with PTE were identified. The median age was 68.8 years. Sixty-six patients (56.4%) had one or more risk factors for PTE. The most common risk factor was immobilization (37.6%). Dyspnea was the most common symptom (74.4%) and tachypnea the most common sign (66.7%). Fever/low grade fever and leukocytosis were present in 16.2% and 31.6% of patients, respectively. Respiratory failure, alkalosis and hypocapnia were present in 44.4%, 38.5% and 47% of patients, respectively. An alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient > 20 mmHg was demonstrated in 96.6% of patients. Chest radiographs and electrocardiograms were normal in 52.1% and 23.9% of patients, respectively. A vein echo-duplex of the lower limbs demonstrated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in 52.1% of patients. The hospital mortality rate was 6.8%. CONCLUSIONS. PTE still affects older patients mainly and frequently known risk factors are not detected. The presence of fever/low grade fever and/or leukocytosis does not rule out PTE. Both chest radiographs and electrocardiograms may be normal. Not demonstrating DVT in the lower limbs by the vein echo-duplex does not rule out PTE. The hospital mortality rate has not decreased considerably in the last few years.

English Abstract↗

[Giant-cell arteritis: a descriptive study in southwestern Spain].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and laboratory features of a series of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) or temporal arteritis in south-western Spain (Extremadura). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 25 patients with GCA diagnosed by temporal artery biopsy between 1990 and 1998. RESULTS: Nine patients were males and 16 (64%) females. Sixteen cases (64%) presented polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Other clinical findings were: fever/febricula (64%), constitutional syndrome (64%), new headache (96%), visual symptoms (48%), jaw claudication (17%) and abnormal temporal arteries (17%). All patients had an ESR of more than 50 mm/hour and a raised C-reactive protein. Thirteen patients (52%) had anemia (hemoglobin level < 12 g/dl). Eleven cases (44%) presented a platelet count higher than 400,000/mm3. Four patients (16%) had an elevated AST and/or ALT levels and 8 patients (32%) had an elevated GGT and/or alkaline phosphatase levels. In patients with PMR, there was a higher frequency of constitutional syndrome (81 vs 33%, p = 0.02). In females, there was a higher frequency of anemia (75 vs 11%, p < 0.01), platelet count higher than 400,000/mm3 (75 vs 0%, p < 0.01) and elevated AST and/or ALT (25 vs 0%, p < 0.01) and elevated GGT and/or alkaline phosphatase (50 vs 0%, p < 0.01) levels. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and laboratory features of GCA in our series of patients in south-western Spain are similar to that described in other spanish populations, with the exception of a slightly higher frequency of PMR and a lower frequency of jaw claudication and abnormal temporal arteries. In our study, the clinical picture of GCA was more severe in patients with PMR and in females.

Aged↗

[Pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and biological characteristics of a series of patients with megaloblastic anemia (MA) and to identify potential differences between patients with pernicious anemia (PA(+)) and patients with other MA (PA(-)). METHOD: Retrospective study of 50 patients with MA diagnosed in our service between 1993 and 1998. RESULTS: MA was diagnosed in 50 patients. The median age in the moment of diagnosis was 70.7 years. The causes of MA were: cobalamin deficiency (CD) in 40 cases (80%), folate deficiency (FD) in 7 cases (14%) and both deficiencies in 3 cases (6%). PA was diagnosed in 19 patients (38%). All cases showed hyper-segmented neutrophils and 41 cases (81%) macroovalocytosis. Hemoglobin level < 8 g/dl was present in 22 patients (44%). The median serum LDH level was 2.059 +/- 1.739 U/l. There was a lower frequency of female sex and a higher RDW in the group PA(+). There were no significant differences between both groups in the rest of studied features, except for the presence of antiparietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies in the group PA(+). CONCLUSIONS: CD was the most frequent cause of MA in our series. PA was the most frequent cause of CD. Most cases of MA corresponded to a severe macrocytic anemia with hyper-segmented neutrophils, macroovalocytosis and very high serum LDH level. We did not identify any clinical or biological characteristic, except for the presence of antiparietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies and a higher RDW in the group PA(+), to permit distinguish the groups PA(+) and PA(-).

Aged↗

[Hepatic granulomatosis caused by Q fever: a cause of erroneous tuberculosis diagnosis].

We present the case of a 31-year-old man hospitalized for the study of a fever syndrome. The patient developed acute respiratory failure, with anemia and hepatic affection. In the histological examination of the liver and bone marrow, the presence of granulomas suggesting a tuberculous etiology was demonstrated. Antibodies IgG anti-Coxiella burnetti were detected, using indirect immunofluorescence, at the level of 1/200, with latter seroconversion to 1/800. Therapy with doxycycline was administered (200 mg/day during 14 days). Fever subsided in 24 hours and the other clinico-biochemical disorders disappeared in the following days. After the literature review, we conclude that Q fever must be taken into account for the differential diagnosis of any granulomatous disease observed in the liver and/or bone marrow. We can confirm that any granuloma is specific of just one pathological entity. The diagnosis must be always supported by other clinical, supplementary and serological data.

Acute Disease↗