Benign fasciculations and corticosteroid use: possible association? An update

Fasciculations are characterized by visible subtle and fast contractions of muscle, even wormlike in movement, by the contraction of a fascicle of muscle fibers. The authors present the case study of a 28-year-old patient with the appearance of migratory and diffuse fasciculations with an onset after partial tapering off of oral corticosteroides (60 mg total dose) indicated for treatment of Minimal change Glomerulopathy. Clinical Neurological physical exam allied with an ENMG, besides other complementary laboratory exams were used for screening the above-mentioned patient. Afterwards, current research relating to the topic at hand was made in order to update the data available in the Bireme, Scielo and PubMed Data Banks using the following key words: Fasciculation's, motor neuron disease, and benign fasciculations in the Portuguese, English as well as Spanish language. Although fasciculation's are most commonly associated with Motor neuron disease as well as with certain metabolic disorders, they may also be present in individuals with absolutely no underlying pathological disorders. In our case, fasciculation potentials that have been present for six months, with no other signs of a neurogenic disorder as well as absence of laboratory findings, the patient received a diagnosis of Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS).We believe that the use of corticosteroides in high doses with subsequent tapering contributed to the fasciculation's, especially due to the changes that this causes on the ionic channels. Fasciculation's are symptoms seen in a large range of conditions, and also being the main symptom of the so-called Benign Fasciculation Syndrome. We have presented an example of this clinical syndrome in a patient whose complaint was fasciculation's, with complete clinical remission of symptoms following complete tapering off of corticosteroid six months previously

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: one or multiple causes?

The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of motor neuron disease in the adulthood, and it is characterized by rapid and progressive compromise of the upper and lower motor neurons. The majority of the cases of ALS are classified as sporadic and, until now, a specific cause for these cases still is unknown. To present the different hypotheses on the etiology of ALS. It was carried out a search in the databases: Bireme, Scielo and Pubmed, in the period of 1987 to 2011, using the following keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, motor neuron disease, etiology, causes and epidemiology and its similar in Portuguese and Spanish. It did not have consensus as regards the etiology of ALS. Researches demonstrates evidences as regards intoxication by heavy metals, environmental and occupational causes, genetic mutations (superoxide dismutase 1), certain viral infections and the accomplishment of vigorous physical activity for the development of the disease. There is still no consensus regarding the involved factors in the etiology of ALS. In this way, new research about these etiologies are necessary, for a better approach of the patients, promoting preventive programs for the disease and improving the quality of life of the patients

TERAPIA DE REPOSIÇÃO HORMONAL EM MULHERES NA MENOPAUSA: RISCOS E BENEFÍCIOS

O presente estudo busca trazer evidências sobre a terapia hormonal em mulheres na menopausa fisiológica, ou seja, que não foi causada por cirurgias ou iatrogenia, quanto aos seus riscos e benefícios. Deste modo, tratando-se de uma revisão integrativa, foi feita uma pesquisa na base de dados PubMed, em que foi utilizado os seguintes Descritores em Ciências da Saúde: hormone replacement therapy; menopause; risks and benefits. Sendo selecionados somente artigos publicados de 2022 a 2024, deste modo foram encontrados 24 artigos que após passarem pelos critérios de inclusão restaram-se 7 artigos revisados para a confecção deste trabalho. Menopausa é um período fisiológico na vida das mulheres caracterizado por cessação da atividade hormonal ovariana, junto com este período ocorre uma série de alterações no organismo feminino como os sintomas vasomotores, caracterizados por ondas de calor e distúrbios do sono, e a síndrome geniturinária, caracterizada por dispareunia, disúria e infecções do trato urinário. Tendo em vista a perda da qualidade de vida das mulheres neste período, faz-se necessária uma revisão da literatura sobre os principais riscos e benefícios do principal tratamento para estes sintomas que é a terapia de reposição hormonal. &nbsp

Fístula arteriovenosa dural intracraniana da junção craniocervical com drenagem venosa perimedular espinhal: um raro relato de caso

Fístulas arteriovenosas durais (FAVDs) são lesões adquiridas, que consistem em uma ou mais conexões fistulosas no interior dos folhetos da dura-máter, com envolvimento das paredes de um seio venoso dural ou então das veias leptomeníngeas adjacentes. Sua incidência é de difícil determinação, no entanto, segundo estudos, ela é estimada em 10% a 15% de todas as malformações cerebrovasculares diagnosticadas por angiografia. Os fatores predisponentes ao desenvolvimento das FAVDs são o traumatismo cranioencefálico, tromboflebite cerebral, neurocirurgia prévia e infecções. O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar um caso de Fístula Arteriovenosa Dural Intracraniana em um paciente de 58 anos, ressaltando os aspectos imagenológicos, etiológicos, fisiopatológicos e, sobretudo, os tipos de classificação da doença e a terapia utilizada. W.S.D., sexo masculino, 58 anos, natural e procedente de São Paulo – SP, deu entrada no pronto-socorro de um hospital de referência da capital paulista queixando-se de parestesia de membros superiores (MMSS) há 3 meses. Foi realizado exame físico e anamnese de forma minuciosa, na qual o paciente negou cefaleia e outros sintomas associados. Foi submetido à investigação com uma ressonância magnética (RNM) da região cerebral e medular em ponderações T1 e T2, as quais demonstraram efeito tumefativo que comprometia a transição bulbo-medular e a medula cervical de C2, as quais encontravam-se edemaciadas. Além disso, estavam proeminentes os vasos leptomeníngeos nos hemisférios cerebelares, estes patognomônicos da FAVD. Ademais, foi observado hipersinal em T2, com padrão estriado/tigroide, típico de degeneração mielínica progressiva. O paciente apresentava agressivo refluxo venoso cortical com drenagem perimedular espinhal na veia cortical e, dessa forma, enquadrou-se na Classificação de Cognard tipo V, sendo considerado um paciente portador de FAVD maligna. Foi então realizado tratamento endovascular com embolização transarterial, o qual proporcionou fechamento completo da fístula e, dessa forma, o paciente obteve um prognóstico favorável. As fístulas arteriovenosas durais, por serem uma condição rara e com variadas manifestações clínicas, podem passar despercebidas pelo profissional médico. Dessa forma, é de fundamental importância o conhecimento da doença, com o intuito de proporcionar ao paciente um diagnóstico precoce e uma terapia eficaz

The pace of life for forest trees.

Tree growth and longevity trade-offs fundamentally shape the terrestrial carbon balance. Yet, we lack a unified understanding of how such trade-offs vary across the world's forests. By mapping life history traits for a wide range of species across the Americas, we reveal considerable variation in life expectancies from 10 centimeters in diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 3195 years) and show that the pace of life for trees can be accurately classified into four demographic functional types. We found emergent patterns in the strength of trade-offs between growth and longevity across a temperature gradient. Furthermore, we show that the diversity of life history traits varies predictably across forest biomes, giving rise to a positive relationship between trait diversity and productivity. Our pan-latitudinal assessment provides new insights into the demographic mechanisms that govern the carbon turnover rate across forest biomes

A relação dos fármacos agonistas de receptores GLP-1 e a proteção de doença renal para pacientes com Diabetes Mellitus

A diabetes mellitus compreende a incapacidade do organismo de desempenhar a função fisiológica da insulina, ocasionando uma grande carga de doenças, incluindo doença renal ou renal crônica e cardiovasculares. Os agonistas do receptor de GLP-1 são empregados em pacientes com diabetes tipo 2 como terapias de redução da glicose diversos à saúde destes pacientes. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a forma de ação dos agonistas de receptores GLP-1 como um fator de proteção à patologia renal crônica, em indivíduos portadores de diabetes mellitus do tipo 2, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática. Os dados publicados demonstram que que agonistas do receptor GLP-1 reduzem a morte e incidência de doença renal terminal ou de insuficiência renal. Adicionalmente estes fármacos podem bloquear os mecanismos envolvidos em doenças renais, além de amenizar o estresse oxidativo e apoptose celular no rim. As terapias utilizadas com o uso de agonistas GLP-1 têm se mostrado agentes redutores da glicose e eficazes para pacientes com diabetes mellitus tipo 2, sendo recomendadas por instituições americanas e européias

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Doenças neurológicas e infecção pelo HTLV-1: quando suspeitar e quando solicitar testes diagnósticos para a infecção pelo HTLV-1

Submitted by Repositório Arca ([email protected]) on 2019-04-24T16:26:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-12-27T12:42:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 ve_Araújo_Abelardo_etal_INI_2009.pdf: 229059 bytes, checksum: f544a1b9185688413cea2925a685d18c (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-12-27T12:42:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 ve_Araújo_Abelardo_etal_INI_2009.pdf: 229059 bytes, checksum: f544a1b9185688413cea2925a685d18c (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.O HTLV-1 é um retrovírus associado tanto a doenças hematológicas quanto a doenças neurológicas. Em relação às doenças neurológicas, é fundamental que selecionemos aquelas em que de fato a infecção pelo HTLV-1 possa ser a causa. Isto é particularmente verdadeiro nos pacientes oriundos de áreas endêmicas e nos pacientes infectados pelo HIV e usuários de drogas, haja vista que estes grupos são de risco para infecção pelo HTLV. Este cuidado ao selecionarmos aquelas condições neurológicas que merecem ser investigadas com sorologia para o HTLV se justifica pelo fato de que nem sempre podemos afastar uma associação fortuita entre a infecção e a referida doença. Neste artigo, comentaremos sobre algumas condições neurológicas que podem estar associadas com a infecção pelo HTLV-1/2, discutindo a real necessidade de solicitar testes parao diagnóstico da infecção pelo HTLV-1/2 frente a elas. Uma breve consideração sobre a co-infecção HIV/HTLV será feita no final deste artigo tendo em vista que estes pacientes apresentam um risco aumentado para o desenvolvimento de doenças neurológicas.HTLV-1 is a retrovirus associated with a myriad of clinical conditions, especially hematological and neurological ones. Regarding nervous system diseases, it is of utmost importance to select those cases in which HTLV-1 infection could really be associated. This is particularly true for patients from endemic areas and for HIV-infected patients and drug users, since that these groups are at a higher risk for HTLV infection. This caution in selecting neurological patients for HTLV diagnostic tests is justified by the fact that in some circumstances the seropositivity may merely represent an epiphenomenon. In this paper we enroll some neurological conditions that have been associated with HTLV-1/2 infection in the literature and discuss the real need for HTLV-1/2 diagnostic tests in each one. Because HIV/HTLV-co-infected patients seem to be at an increased risk for neurological diseases development, a special consideration about this matter is also made

Man-in-the-barrel syndrome, a symmetrical proximal brachial amyotrophic diplegia related to motor neuron diseases: a survey of nine cases

OBJECTIVE: To report on 9 patients presenting with sporadic motor neuron disease , who over a long period of time evolved with a symmetrical proximal brachial amyotrophic diplegia. METHODS: Nine patients were followed-up who , displayed, since onset, a progressive limitation of arm flexion/abduction resulting in a peculiar posture with both hands hanging loosely beside the trunk. Electrophysiological test results were consistent with lower motor neuron disease. Cervical MRI was performed in all patients. RESULTS: Nine male subjects with ages ranging from 38 to 73 years at onset of symptoms, developed bilateral and symmetric paresis and atrophy of upper limb muscles. Proximal muscles were more involved than the distal groups. In most patients tendon reflexes were absent or hypoactive in the upper limbs. Needle electromyography (EMG) revealed positive sharp waves and fibrillations and high amplitude polyphasic potentials with an incomplete recruitment pattern in most upper limb muscles. EMG of lower limb muscles was normal in some cases while abnormal in others. MRC did not disclose cervical spinal cord abnormalities from C5-T1. CONCLUSION: Attention is called to the Man-in-the-Barrel syndrome in some motor neuron diseases, especially in patients with progressive spinal atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.OBJETIVO: Relatar nove pacientes com a doença do neurônio de motor esporádica que apresentam progressiva e simétrica diplegia braquial amiotrófica. MÉTODOS: Acompanhamos nove pacientes que exibiram, desde o começo, uma limitação progressiva de flexão/abdução do membro superior resultando em uma postura peculiar com ambas as mãos pendentes ao longo do tronco. Os resultados dos testes eletrofisiológicos foram consistentes com achados de doença do neurônio motor inferior. Ressonância magnética (RM) cervical foi realizada em todos pacientes. RESULTADOS: Nove pacientes do sexo masculino com idades entre 38-73 anos no início dos sintomas desenvolveram paresia e a atrofia bilateral simétrica dos músculos dos membros superiores. Os músculos proximais foram mais comprometidos do que os distais. Os reflexos tendíneos dos membros superiores encontravam-se abolidos ou hipoativos na maioria dos pacientes. A eletromiografia (EMG) revelou ondas positivas, fibrilações e potenciais polifásicos de alta amplitude com padrão incompleto de recrutamento na maioria dos músculos dos membros superiores. A EMG dos membros inferiores foi normal em alguns casos e anormal em outros. A RM não evidenciou anormalidades da medula espinhal cervical de C5-T1. CONCLUSÃO: Atentamos para a síndrome do homem do Barril em algumas doenças do neurônio de motor, especialmente na atrofia espinhal progressiva e esclerose lateral amiotrófica