A double-blind, within patient, randomized study to compare the efficacy and tolerability of acute rectal administration of 600 mg pirprofen capsules with matched placebo was carried out in 40 out-patients. They were divided into two groups of 20 patients each according to diagnosis of episodic headache or common or classic migraine. Treatment was given once during each of two consecutive attacks according to a crossover design. None of the patients was withdrawn after randomization. There was a statistically significant difference in favour of pirprofen as regards the preferences expressed by patients at the end of the trial: 34 patients preferred pirprofen, two preferred placebo and four patients had no preference. Pirprofen significantly reduced the duration of headache attack and associated symptoms, but not the peak of pain intensity. Tolerability of the drug was good.

The cerebral CT-scan results of 72 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) were compared to those of an age- and sex-matched control group, affected by muscle-tensive headache. None of the patients in the study had any neurologic symptoms. All were normal on neurologic examination. Mean age was 68 years in both groups. Patients with atrial fibrillation had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, although the differences were not significant. Thirty-two patients (44.4%) with AF showed hypodense lesions on cerebral CT-scan, suggestive of small infarcts, whereas this finding was present only in eight control subjects (11.1%) (p less than 0.05). These results confirm in part the observations reported in literature and suggest a more thorough examination of the problem regarding the prophylaxis of thrombo-embolic risk in patients affected by chronic AF.

Hemangiopericytomas are rare tumors arising from the proliferation of pericytes. They may be found in the lungs, bones, skull, deep soft tissue or limbs. The tumor has an unpredictable prognosis and when it affects the orbital region, may have an aggressive behavior, with high incidence of recurrence. We report a case of orbital hemangiopericytoma and highlight clinical, surgical, and histopathological features of these tumors. Orbital hemangiopericytomas usually are solid, slow-growing tumors. They should be considered in the differential diagnosis of well-defined orbital masses along with epidermoid cysts, schwannomas, neurofibromas, fibrous histiocytomas, lipomas, and vascular malformations. The diagnosis is confirmed by anatomopathologic examination and sometimes complemented by immunohistochemistry. Complete excision of the tumor with wide margins is usually curative; however, radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be required for recurrent lesions.Keywords: Hemangiopericytoma. Neoplasms, vascular tissue. Orbit/surgery. RESUMOHemangiopericitomas são tumores raros originados a partir da proliferação de pericitos, ou seja, células que envolvem os capilares. São encontrados em ossos, pulmões, crânio, partes moles profundas ou membros inferiores, principalmente na coxa. É considerado um tumor com potencial de malignidade incerto e quando afeta a região orbitária pode apresentar um comportamento biológico agressivo, com grande chance de recidiva. O ob jetivo deste trabalho é relatar um caso de hemangiopericitoma orbital e destacar suas características clínicas, cirúrgicas e histopatológicas. Usualmente, os hemangiopericitomas da órbita são tumores sólidos, únicos e de crescimento lento. Devem ser lembra dos no diagnóstico diferencial dos tumores orbitários bem delimitados, como cistos epidermoides, schwannomas, neurofibromas, fibro-histiocitomas, lipomas e malformações vas culares. A confirmação diagnóstica é realizada pelo exame anatomopatológico e, por vezes, complementada pelo estudo imuno-histoquímico. O tratamento deve ser realizado com exérese completa do tumor, com margens amplas, sendo a radioterapia e a quimioterapia reservadas para casos de lesões reincidentes.Descritores: Hemangiopericitoma. Neoplasias de tecido vascular. Órbita/cirurgia.

Background: It is scarce in the literature studies regarding treatment and objective analysis of the survival chances of burned patients. Some investigations indicates the need for obtaining specific data to the population studied and characteristics such as social condition and nutritional status are suggested to be relevant to the patient's evolution. We aimed to describe the mortality of a Treatment Center Burn Unit (BU) in Brazil. Methods:We analyzed 76 burned victims hospitalized with a fatal outcome in the General Hospital of São Matheus in 10 years (1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009). The following collected data were investigated were: age, sex, period of permanence, body surface burned (BSB), degree of burns, the causal agent, inhalation injury, nature of the event, clinical complications, mortality and survival rates. Results:We observed predominantly male and the median age was 44 years old. The highest incidence was on June. The mean body surface area burned was 40%, and upper limbs, the most affected region. The causative agents involved were more flammable agents and fire. Pulmonary infection was the most frequent clinical complication. The mortality found in this center was 4.9%. The subgroup of suicide were predominantly female and the mortality rate was 22.44%. When studying survival rate, patients with inhalation injury and trauma were associated with shorter survival. Patients with sepsis remained alive for longer. Conclusion:The clinical, epidemiological and survival of patients with burns, enables the design of peculiar characteristics of this trauma in the studied area, thus, from these data, charts be established treatment and prognostic estimates, and assist in developing preventive public health policy more effective.

We report two cases of ischemic stroke in young adult cocaine abusers occurring shortly after drug use. We review the literature and discuss the possible pathogenetic mechanisms.