[Superficial mycoses in patients from Anzoátegui state, Venezuela, period 2002-2012]

Superficial fungal diseases that affect the skin and its appendages are frequently seen in basic triage and in dermatology services. These diseases are distributed in Venezuela with an incidence of 92.9%. The aim of this study was to determine the genera and species that cause dermatomycoses in residents of Anzoátegui state, Venezuela, during the period 2002-2012. A total of 4257 patients with a presumptive diagnosis of superficial mycoses were studied, with ages from 7 months to 79 years. The overall prevalence was 30.9%. The most frequent were dermatophytosis (44.7%). M. canis produced 148 cases of tinea capitis. Three dermatophytic agents represented 95% of all cases, with a significant predominance of T. mentagrophytes with 50%. Candidosis occurred in 28.4%. C. albicans, and the C. parapsilosis complex, were responsible for 80% of the cases. The other species identified were C. tropicalis (n = 41, 11.0%), C. glabrata (n = 10, 2.7%), C. guilliermondii (n = 6, 1.6%), C. krusei (n = 4, 1.1%). Pityriasis versicolor occurred in 22.4% of the cases studied, and less frequently were present onychomycosis produced by a non dermatophytic mold: Fusarium oxysporum (n = 34, 65.4%), Aspergillus terreus (n=16, 30.8%) and Scytalidium dimidiatum (n=2; 3.8%). Rare cases of Trichosporon onychomycosis (0.5%) and one case of black tinea were also found. Health education in the population is recommended to promote measures to prevent transmission of these fungi and prevent the spread of this silent public health problem.

[Malignant thymoma with myasthenia gravis and hepatic metastasis. Report of a case and review of the literature]

This paper reports a case of an histological non aggressive thymoma with myasthenic symptoms as the first clinical manifestation. Three years after its complete surgical resection liver metastases appeared without evidence of intrathoracic neoplastic disease. The extrathoracic metastases are uncommon and the thymomatous myasthenia gravis is present in 25 to 50% of cases. We reviewed the literature and analyzed its clinical pathological characteristics and therapeutics approach.

[Gastrin levels in normal dogs subjected to truncal and selective parietal cell vagotomy]

Based upon the fact that there is an increase of serum gastrin levels after vagotomy, the authors compare normal gastrin levels in non-operated dogs, with two series of dogs submitted to truncal and parietal cells vagotomy (PCV), respectively. The surgical technique, as well as the method of gastrin determination employed are described herein. Three series of 7 dogs each were compared. A: "Normal"(non-operated) dogs; B: Dogs with truncal vagotomy and C: Dogs with PCV. The results of Mean values and P for every series were as follows: Series A: Mean 26 +/- 15.0 pg/ml. Series B: Mean 110 +/- 51.6 pg/ml. Series C: Mean 17.4 +/- 12.9 pg/ml. The relation of P showed high significance (P = 0,0004) between A and B; ("normal" vs truncal); slight significance(P = 0,128) between A and C ("normal" vs PCV) and again high (P = 0,0002) between B and C (truncal vs PCV). It is concluded that the rise in serum gastrin levels in dogs submitted to truncal vagotomy are highly significant when are compared with those in "normal" dogs. Dogs submitted to PCV showed slight rises in serum gastrin levels, without statistic significance when are compared with "normal" dogs, strongly indicating the near-physiologic effects of the PCV on the serum gastrin levels.