Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F Carneiro Chaves.
The lung-kidney syndrome is characterized by the coexistence of glomerulonephritis and pulmonary hemorrhage. However these manifestations can define different pathologies. The association of diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage, glomerulonephritis and circulating anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies define Goodpasture syndrome. We report a case of Goodpasture syndrome with review of the literature.
Whipple's Disease is a rare multisystemic disease caused by Gram-positive bacillus, Tropheryma whippelii, family of Actinobacterias and group of Actinomycetes. Because the disease is rare and has different forms of presentation the diagnosis comes frequently late. The authors present the case of a white man, 50 years old, admitted with a clinical picture characterized by weight loss, abdominal pain, ascites, diarrhea. He suffered of arthralgias for four years. The diagnosis was made by biopsy of mesenteric adenopathies and liver, during the laparotomy. The biopsy specimens showed numerous aggregates of foamy macrophages containing granular periodic acid-shiff (PAS)--positive material, diastase resistant. Afterwards, the bacillus was identified by electronic microscopy. The patient was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Symptoms disappeared and biological values returned to normal. The authors present the case and discuss auxiliary exams, differential diagnosis, follow-up, treatment and review the main characteristics of the disease.
The CREST syndrome initially described as a limited, more indolent form of diffuse scleroderma, is characterized by calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasias. Subsequent studies showed that visceral abnormalities were not uncommon. Pulmonary abnormalities are frequent especially pulmonary hypertension, this one being a major cause of this syndrome's mortality. The authors present the case of white woman, 61 years old , with dyspnoea, cyanosis and peripheral edema with 12 months of evolution. She was admitted for pulmonary thromboembolism suspicion. After investigation the diagnosis of CREST syndrome was made, associated with severe pulmonary hypertension. The patient was treated with varfarina, nicorandil, nifedipine, furosemide and home oxygen. She died 3 months after. The authors discuss the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.