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CONTEXT: Renal artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication after renal injury but should be suspected whenever there is recurrent hematuria after renal trauma. CASE REPORTS: We present three cases of pseudoaneurysm after blunt renal trauma and a review of the literature. All patients underwent renal angiography. Two cases were diagnosed during the initial hospital stay due to hematuria, or in the follow-up period during recovery. One patient was hemodynamically unstable. Two patients successfully underwent coil embolization in a single session. In the other case, selective embolization was attempted, but was unsuccessful because artery catheterization was impossible. Procedural and medical success and complications were retrospectively assessed from the patients' records. The clinical presentation, treatment options and clinical decisions are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Renal artery pseudoaneurysm may develop acutely or even years after the initial injury. Signs and symptoms may have a wide spectrum of presentation. Selective angiographic embolization is an effective treatment that reduces the extent of parenchymal infarction.RESUMO CONTEXTO: Pseudoaneurisma de artéria renal é uma complicação rara após lesão renal, mas deve ser suspeitada quando houver hematúria recorrente após trauma renal. RELATO DE CASOS: Três casos de pseudoaneurisma após trauma renal fechado são apresentados, além de revisão da literatura. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a angiografia renal. Dois dos casos foram diagnosticados durante a estadia hospitalar inicial, por hematúria ou no período de acompanhamento durante a recuperação. Um paciente estava hemodinamicamente instável. Dois pacientes foram submetidos a embolização com coil com sucesso em uma única sessão. No outro caso, a embolização seletiva foi tentada sem sucesso, devido à impossibilidade de cateterização da artéria. O sucesso médico e do procedimento e as complicações foram retrospectivamente avaliados a partir dos registros dos pacientes. A apresentação clínica, opções de tratamento e decisões clínicas são discutidas. CONCLUSÕES: Pseudoaneurisma de artéria renal pode se desenvolver agudamente ou até mesmo anos após o trauma inicial. Sinais e sintomas podem ter um amplo espectro de apresentação. Embolização angiográfica seletiva é um tratamento efetivo, reduzindo a extensão de infarto parenquimatoso.

Sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a serious sleep disorder, and snoring is one of its earliest and most consistent symptoms. We propose a new methodology for identifying two distinct types of snores: the so-called non-regular and regular snores. Respiratory sound signals from 34 subjects with different ranges of Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI = 3.7–109.9 h−1) were acquired. A total number of 74,439 snores were examined. The time interval between regular snores in short segments of the all night recordings was analyzed. Severe SAHS subjects show a shorter time interval between regular snores (p = 0.0036, AHI cp: 30 h−1) and less dispersion on the time interval features during all sleep. Conversely, lower intra-segment variability (p = 0.006, AHI cp: 30 h−1) is seen for less severe SAHS subjects. Features derived from the analysis of time interval between regular snores achieved classification accuracies of 88.2 % (with 90 % sensitivity, 75 % specificity) and 94.1 % (with 94.4 % sensitivity, 93.8 % specificity) for AHI cut-points of severity of 5 and 30 h−1, respectively. The features proved to be reliable predictors of the subjects’ SAHS severity. Our proposed method, the analysis of time interval between snores, provides promising results and puts forward a valuable aid for the early screening of subjects suspected of having SAHS.

IntroductionCombined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the treatment of HIV-1 infection has been associated with complications, including lipodystrophy, hyperlipidaemia, insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes.AimsTo compare the prevalence of glucose homeostasis disturbances and IR in HIV patients on cART according to the presence of lipodystrophy (defined clinically and by Fat Mass Ratio) and different patterns of fat distribution and to establish their associations.DesignCross-sectional cohort study.MethodsWe evaluated body composition and IR and insulin sensitivity indexes in 345 HIV-infected adults.ResultsPatients with clinical lipodystrophy (CL) had higher plasma glucose levels than patients without CL, without significant differences in plasma insulin levels, A1c, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, QUICKI, or MATSUDA index. Patients with lipodystrophy defined by FMR had higher plasma glucose and insulin levels, A1c, HOMA-IR, QUICKI and MATSUDA than patients without lipodystrophy, without differences in HOMA-B. Higher insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 4) was present in patients with FMR-defined lipodystrophy. Patients with FMR-defined lipodystrophy had a higher prevalence of IFG, IGT and DM than patients without lipodystrophy. Significant associations between HOMA-IR and total, central and central/peripheral fat evaluated by CT at abdominal level were found and no association between HOMA-IR and peripheral fat. Association between HOMA-IR and total and trunk fat but no association with leg and arm fat (evaluated by DXA) was found.ConclusionsIR and glucose disturbances were significantly increased in patients with FMR-defined lipodystrophy. FMR lipodystrophy definition seems to be a more sensitive determinant of insulin resistance and glucose disturbances than clinical definition.

Vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) is one of the enigmatic members of the VEGF family. The knowledge gap about VEGF-B expression and how its levels are altered in diabetic eyes were the focus of this investigation that was addressed by comparing and correlating vitreous VEGF-B between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. VEGF-B levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in vitreous samples (n = 33) from diabetic (n = 25) and non-diabetic (n = 8) patients. Results were compared between groups. Optical coherence tomography from diabetic patients was evaluated for central retinal thickness (CRT) and macular volume (MV). Mean vitreous VEGF-B concentration was higher in diabetic (18.82 ± 1.44 pg/mL) vs. non-diabetic patients (17.90 ± 0.32 pg/mL) (p = 0.006), and in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (19.03 ± 1.52 pg/mL) vs. non-PDR (NPDR) patients (18.18 ±0.96 pg/mL) (p = 0.025). In diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients, correlation between VEGF-B and CRT (μm) was positive and moderate: rs = 0.441 (p ≤ 0.05) and the correlation between VEGF-B and MV (mm3) was positive and robust: rs = 0.716 (p ≤ 0.01). VEGF-B levels are overexpressed in vitreous of diabetic patients, and the levels are higher in developed stages of DR. Correlation results show that CRT and MV increase with increased levels of VEGF-B. Targeting VEGF-B inhibition may have therapeutic beneficial implications.

Oxidative stress is defined as an unbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants, as evidenced by an increase in reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species production over time. It is important in the pathophysiology of retinal disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy, which are the focus of this article. Although the human organism’s defense mechanisms correct autoxidation caused by endogenous or exogenous factors, this may be insufficient, causing an imbalance in favor of excessive ROS production or a weakening of the endogenous antioxidant system, resulting in molecular and cellular damage. Furthermore, modern lifestyles and environmental factors contribute to increased chemical exposure and stress induction, resulting in oxidative stress. In this review, we discuss the current information about oxidative stress and the vitreous proteome with a special focus on vitreoretinal diseases. Additionally, we explore therapies using antioxidants in an attempt to rescue the body from oxidation, restore balance, and maximize healthy body function, as well as new investigational therapies that have shown significant therapeutic potential in preclinical studies and clinical trial outcomes, along with their goals and strategic approaches to combat oxidative stress.

Neonatal hyponatraemia is common, and related to significant morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a preterm newborn (gestational age of 36 weeks) with hyponatraemia, and with a prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate, with a normal fetal karyotype. On the seventh day of life, a biochemical evaluation for jaundice and mild signs of dehydration showed hyponatraemia of 124 mmol/L. Investigation showed normal adrenal and thyroid functions, plasma hyposmolality (258 mOsm/kg); high urinary sodium (73 mmol/L) and high urinary osmolality (165 mOsm/kg). Despite oral sodium supplementation and fludrocortisone treatment, sodium levels remained between 124 and 130 mmol/L. Cranial ultrasound, brain MRI and renal ultrasound were normal. The diagnosis of hyponatraemia was unpredicted and the investigation was suggestive of reset osmostat, a subtype of the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, characterised by a subnormal threshold for antidiuretic hormone secretion.