Catecholamine excretion, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA) and plasma 11-OH corticoids were measured in 18 normal workers of an aircraft factory exposed to turbine noise for 3 h. Blood pressure and pulse frequency were also registered. In 72% of the subjects, marked elevations of catecholamine excretion were found, correlating fairly well with increases of cholesterol, FFA, blood pressure and pulse frequency. Surprisingly, after 3 h of noise exposure, the plasma 11-OH corticoid mean value was slightly lower than the one of the early morning in resting conditions; this could be ascribed to the pronounced midday drop of plasma corticoids, characteristic of the circadian cortisol variation. This could counteract the moderate corticoadrenal stimulation caused by the noise stress. The blood pressure and plasma lipid elevation found in these workers might be detrimental to personnel suffering from atherosclerosis or other vascular pathology.

A group of 23 Air Force Lieutenant Colonels who attended a long General Staff Course were studied with assays of blood lipid fractions, 11-hydroxycorticoids and excretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine, free 11-hydroxycorticoids, 17-hydroxycorticoids (17-OHCS), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and 17-ketosteroids (17-KS). More or less continuous emotional stress was expected as most of these subjects had familiar responsabilities and the course was extremely competitive, with a large percent of dropouts. This meant, for most of these officers, the end of their careers. Norepinephrine levels were significantly increased and correlated with aggressive behaviour. Significant (p < 0.001) elevations of plasma and urine-free 11-hydroxycorticoíds were registered showing levels in the range found in very stressed subjects. Blood total lipids and cholesterol raised significantly during the course, with levels comparable to those found in hyperlipidemic patients with coronary arteriopathy. The EKG changes were not significant. The possibility that this maintained stressful state might cause a hyperlipoproteinemia and consequent atheromatosis and coronariopathy is discussed.

Las malformaciones arteriovenosas (MAV) renales son alteraciones poco comunes que consisten en comunicaciones anómalas entre el sistema arterial y venoso intrarrenal. En su presentación clínica, predominan la hematuria y la hipertensión, observándose deterioro cardíaco o pulmonar en un 5% de los casos. La hematuria es un motivo de consulta frecuente en los servicios de urgencias; sin embargo, en algunas oportunidades esta no recibe la atención que merece y se corre el riesgo de pasar por alto algunas patologías de importancia. La potencial posibilidad de ofrecer un tratamiento curativo hace muy importante su diagnóstico, permitiendo modificar el curso natural de la patología. La arquitectura vascular heterogénea de cada MAV determina las técnicas de tratamiento endovascular a emplear. La hematuria macroscópica súbita y anemizante debe ser estudiada con detalle puesto que puede comprometer la vida. La realización de procedimientos mínimamente invasivos permite a los pacientes preservar su función renal con mínimas complicaciones y les evita procedimientos más agresivos como la heminefrectomía. Reportamos nuestra experiencia con el tratamiento endovascular de 2 casos. El primero es el caso de un paciente varón de 43 años, deportista, y el otro es de un mujer de 28 años, ambos sin antecedentes clínicos de importancia previos y con hematuria macroscópica asociada a coágulos que requirieron embolización selectiva como tratamiento.

No abstract