Association between ear creases and peripheral arterial disease

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral arterial disease is a severe manifestation of atherosclerosis that can lead to critical ischemia of the lower limbs and is also associated with high cardiovascular risk. Diagonal lobular and anterior tragal ear creases have been associated with coronary artery disease, but they have not yet been investigated in patients with peripheral arterial disease. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of ear creases among patients with peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs, compared with patients without documented atherosclerotic disease. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 60 male patients with peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs and 60 dermatologic outpatients matched for age and gender. The associations were adjusted for other risk factors by conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of diagonal and anterior tragal ear creases was higher among cases (73% vs. 25% and 80% vs. 43%, respectively) than controls; these associations remained significant even when adjusting for other known risk factors of atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 8.1 and 4.1, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Ear creases are independently associated with peripheral arterial disease and may be an external marker for risk identification

Association between ear creases and peripheral arterial disease

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral arterial disease is a severe manifestation of atherosclerosis that can lead to critical ischemia of the lower limbs and is also associated with high cardiovascular risk. Diagonal lobular and anterior tragal ear creases have been associated with coronary artery disease, but they have not yet been investigated in patients with peripheral arterial disease.OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of ear creases among patients with peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs, compared with patients without documented atherosclerotic disease.METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 60 male patients with peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs and 60 dermatologic outpatients matched for age and gender. The associations were adjusted for other risk factors by conditional logistic regression.RESULTS: The prevalence of diagonal and anterior tragal ear creases was higher among cases (73% vs. 25% and 80% vs. 43%, respectively) than controls; these associations remained significant even when adjusting for other known risk factors of atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 8.1 and 4.1, respectively).CONCLUSIONS: Ear creases are independently associated with peripheral arterial disease and may be an external marker for risk identification

Caso para Diagnóstico

Descreve-se caso clínico de paciente do sexo masculino, jovem, imunocompetente, portador de melanoníquia fúngica no terceiro pododáctilo causado por Scytalidium dimidiatum. Discutem-se a semiotécnica diagnóstica, seus diferenciais e a terapêutica adequada. Os autores destacam que a etiologia fúngica deva ser considerada no diagnóstico das melanoníquias.The authors report the case of a young, immunocompetent male, affected by fungal melanonychia in the third toe, caused by Scytalidium dimidiatum. The Diagnostic procedures, the differential diagnosis and adequate treatment are also discussed. The authors remark that a fungal etiology should be considered in the diagnosis of melanonychia

Associação entre doença arterial coronariana e as pregas lobular diagonal e anterotragal em homens

FUNDAMENTOS: Diversas alterações dermatológicas foram associadas à doença arterial coronariana, representando achados de fácil constatação que podem contribuir na estratificação não invasiva do risco cardíaco. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar comparativamente a prevalência de certos achados dermatológicos em pacientes com ou sem doença arterial coronariana. MÉTODOS: Estudo caso/controle envolvendo pacientes do sexo masculino submetidos à cineangiocoronariografia. Foram considerados aqueles casos com obstrução de mais de 50% em pelo menos uma coronária. Avaliou-se a presença da prega lobular diagonal, prega anterotragal, alopecia e presença de pêlos no tórax nos dois grupos. Os resultados foram ajustados para os fatores de risco: tabagismo, hipertensão, diabetes, idade, dislipidemia e índice de massa corporal. RESULTADOS: Analisaram-se 110 pacientes (80 casos e 30 controles). A prevalência da prega lobular diagonal nos casos (60,0%) foi maior do que no grupo controle (30,0%) (p<0,05). Alopecia androgenética e distribuição de pêlos no tórax não demonstraram associação positiva com coronariopatia neste estudo. O Odds Ratio (IC 95%), da prega lobular diagonal foi de 3,1 (1,2-8,3) e para prega anterotragal foi de 5,5 (1,9-16,3). A verificação simultânea da prega lobular diagonal e prega anterotragal representou valor preditivo positivo de 90%. CONCLUSÕES: Detectou-se associação positiva entre a presença da prega lobular diagonal bilateral e prega anterotragal bilateral com doença arterial coronariana, sendo que a presença simultânea das duas pregas apresenta alta preditividade para doença arterial coronariana.BACKGROUND: Several dermatologic findings have been associated with coronary artery disease and represent easily visualized signs that may contribute to classify cardiac risk by a non-invasive technique. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of some dermatologic findings in patients with or without coronary artery disease. METHODS: A case-control study involving male patients submitted to coronary angiography was performed. We included patients with greater than 50% obstruction of at least one coronary artery. Both groups were assessed as to presence of diagonal earlobe crease and preauricular crease, alopecia and thoracic hairiness. The results were adjusted for known cardiac risk factors: age, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and smoking. RESULTS: One hundred and ten individuals were evaluated (80 patients, 30 controls). The prevalence of diagonal earlobe crease in patients (60%) was greater than controls (30%) (p<0.05). Androgenetic alopecia and thoracic hairiness were not associated to coronary artery disease. The odds ratio for diagonal earlobe crease was 3.1 (1.2-8.3) and for preauricular crease was 5.5 (1.9-16.3). The simultaneous finding of diagonal earlobe crease and preauricular crease resulted in a positive predictive value of 90.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The study detected a positive association between bilateral diagonal earlobe crease and bilateral preauricular crease with coronary artery disease. The simultaneous finding of both folds had high predictivity for coronary artery disease