No abstract

Background Surgical correction of tracheal defects is a complex procedure when the gold standard treatment with primary end-to-end anastomosis is not possible. An alternative treatment may be the use of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS). It has been used as graft material for bioengineering applications and to promote tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether SIS grafts improved tracheal tissue regeneration in a rabbit model of experimental tracheostomy. Methods Sixteen rabbits were randomized into two groups. Animals in the control group underwent only surgical tracheostomy, while animals in the SIS group underwent surgical tracheostomy with an SIS graft covering the defect. We examined tissues at the site of tracheostomy 60 days after surgery using histological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and analyzed the perimeter and area of the defect with Image-Pro® PLUS 4.5 (Media Cybernetics). Results The average perimeter and area of the defects were smaller by 15.3% (p = 0.034) and 21.8% (p = 0.151), respectively, in the SIS group than in the control group. Histological analysis revealed immature cartilage, pseudostratified ciliated epithelium, and connective tissue in 54.5% (p = 0.018) of the SIS group, while no cartilaginous regeneration was observed in the control group. Conclusions Although tracheal SIS engraftment could not prevent stenosis in a rabbit model of tracheal injury, it produced some remarkable changes, efficiently facilitating neovascularization, reepithelialization, and neoformation of immature cartilage.

Background: The outcome of the patients after liver transplant is complex and to characterize the risk for complications is not always easy. In this context, the hepatic post-reperfusion biopsy is capable of portraying alterations of prognostic importance. Aim: To compare the results of liver transplantation, correlating the different histologic features of the hepatic post-reperfusion biopsy with graft dysfunction, primary non-function and patient survival in the first year after transplantation. Method: From the 377 transplants performed from 1996 to 2008, 164 patients were selected. Medical records were reviewed and the following clinical outcomes were registered: mortality in 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, graft dysfunction in varied degrees and primary graft non-function. The post-reperfusion biopsies had been examined by a blinded pathologist for the outcomes. The following histological variables had been evaluated: ischemic alterations, congestion, steatosis, neutrophilic exudate, monomorphonuclear infiltrate and necrosis. Results: The variables associated with increased mortality were: steatosis (p=0.02209), monomorphonuclear infiltrate (p=0.03935) and necrosis (p<0.00001). The neutrophilic exudate reduced mortality in this study (p=0.00659). The primary non-function showed significant association (p<0.05) with the necrosis, steatosis and the monomorphonuclear infiltrate. Conclusion: Post-reperfusion biopsy is useful tool to foresee complications after liver transplant.

No abstract

ResumoSarcoidose é uma doença sistêmica caracterizada por inflamação granulomatosa em que o envolvimento pulmonar e linfático é comum. Apresentamos um relato de caso raro de envolvimento do sistema nervoso central com acometimento ocular mimetizando meningioma da bainha do nervo óptico. Relatamos uma paciente de 79 anos, do sexo feminino, com diminuição visual progressiva com evolução de 4 anos. A ressonância magnética do crânio com gadolínio, através de intenso realce homogêneo pelo meio de contraste, evidenciou uma lesão expansiva no nervo óptico direito, na altura do canal óptico. A paciente foi submetida à abordagem neurocirúrgica com biópsia de lesão, que evidenciou sarcoidose do sistema nervoso central. Devido à raridade do acometimento do sistema nervoso central, o diagnóstico dessa patologia pode ser, infelizmente, postergado. O presente artigo tem como objetivo elucidar a patologia como diagnóstico diferencial dos tumores retro-orbitários. Keywords ► sarcoidosis ► ocular sarcoidosis AbstractSarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation. Pulmonary and lymphatic granulomatous involvement are common. We present a rare case report of involvement of the central nervous system with ocular involvement mimicking optic nerve sheath meningioma. We report a 79-year-old female patient with progressive visual impairment with an evolution of 4 years. The magnetic resonance imaging of the cranium with gadolinium and intense homogeneous contrast enhancement revealed an expansive lesion in the right optic nerve, at the height of the optic canal. The patient was submitted to the neurosurgical approach with lesion biopsy, which showed sarcoidosis of the central nervous system. Due to the rarity of central nervous system involvement, the diagnosis of this pathology may unfortunately be postponed. This article aims to elucidate this pathology as a differential diagnosis of retro-orbital tumors.