Este trabalho objetivou conhecer as situações que se apresentam ao estudante de Medicina como angustiantes durante a sua formação e os fatores que ele identifica como originários desse sentimento. Foi empregada uma abordagem etnográfica, utilizando-se entrevistas semi-estruturadas, observação e grupos de discussão. Os dados foram analisados por meio de Análise de Conteúdo. Os alunos identificaram a dissociação entre o ciclo básico e o profissionalizante como responsável pela angústia suscitada em face do primeiro contato com o paciente, além de apresentarem estresse psicológico por terem que trabalhar com a dor e o sofrimento. Os discentes identificaram, também, como fator estressante o fato de que sua aprendizagem implica a utilização de outro ser humano. Além disso, em algumas situações, a dificuldade de relacionamento com os professores é apontada como geradora de angústia.

Pancoast syndrome consists of signs and symptoms resulting from a tumor affecting the pulmonary apex and adjacent structures. The process is typically caused by a neoplasm. The majority of cases of Pancoast syndrome are caused by bronchogenic carcinoma. The most commonly found histologic subtypes are adenocarcinoma and epidermoid carcinoma. There have been very few reports of small cell lung carcinoma in the genesis of Pancoast syndrome. We describe the case of a patient with Pancoast syndrome caused by small cell lung carcinoma and discuss the aspects related to the diagnosis and treatment.

Chagas' disease carries high morbidity and mortality due to acute parasitemia or cardiac, digestive, cutaneous or neurologic chronic lesions. Latin American countries have the majority of infected or at risk people. Transplanted patients using immunosuppressive agents may develop severe and even fatal forms of the disease. The available treatment causes frequent severe side-effects. A 59 years-old woman with end stage renal disease and positive serology for Chagas` disease, but without any clinical manifestation of this pathology, underwent kidney transplantation from a cadaveric donor and displayed three months later a thigh panniculitis from which a biopsy unveiled amastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. The skin lesions disappeared following treatment with benzonidazole, but the drug was discontinued due to severe pancytopenia. Along with this, infection with E. faecalis and cytomegalovirus were treated with vancomicin and ganciclovir. The patient kept very well afterwards, with no new skin lesions and with good graft function. One year and three months after the transplant, she had an emergency surgery for an aortic dissecting aneurysm. Irreversible shock and death occurred in the immediate post-surgical period. It was not possible to establish or to rule out a relationship between the trypanosomiasis and the aortic lesions. Chagas` disease must be remembered in differential diagnosis of several clinical situations in transplant patients, mainly in endemic areas. The treatment can yeld good clinical response, but serious side-effects from the drugs may ensue. More effective and better tolerated options are in need for treatment or prophylaxis.