Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is present in all continents, except for the Antarctica. Characteristically, CE lesions are found in the liver and the lungs, but virtually any part of the body may be ...affected (the spleen, kidneys, heart, central nervous system, bones, among others). It is estimated that the incidence of bone involvement in CE is 0.5% to 4%.
A retrospective study was performed of patients with osseous CE treated at the National Reference Unit of Tropical Diseases of the Ramon y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain, between 1989 and December 2017. Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic data of patients with long-term follow-up were collected.
During the study period, of the 104 patients with CE, 27 exhibited bone involvement (26%). The bones most frequently affected were the spine, followed by the ribs, pelvis, femur, tibia and the scapula. The most common symptom was pain followed by medullar syndrome and pathologic fracture. In total, 81.5% of patients underwent surgery for osseous CE at least once. As many as 96% received albendazol either in (mostly long-term) monotherapy or in combination with praziquantel.
The diagnosis and management of osseous CE is challenging. In many cases osseous CE should be considered a chronic disease and should be managed on a case-by-case basis. Lifelong follow-up should be performed for potential recurrence and sequels.
Zika virus: An emerging player in the global scenario Pérez-Molina, José A; Tojeiro, Sandra Chamorro
Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.),
01/2018, Letnik:
36, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Abstract Background In non-endemic countries, malaria can be transmitted through blood donations from imported cases. To ensure standards of quality and safety of human blood, the European Union and ...Spanish national law, requires a deferral period, or a screening by immunological or genomic test among those donors with potential risk of malaria. Scientific societies, European Committee on Blood Transfusion, and Spanish Society of Haematology and Haemotherapy, refer only to the result of the immunological test. Methods An observational retrospective study was performed in potential donors with a positive immunological test for malaria done in the Regional Transfusion Center in Madrid and referred to the National Reference Unit for Tropical Diseases in Madrid between 2015–2020. At consultation a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for malaria was performed. Results During the study period, 121 possible donors attended for consultation at NRU-Trop. Median age: 38.5 (IQR:33–48); median time to consultation was 32 months (IQR:12.5–110). Eighty-two (67.8%) donors were migrants and thirty-nine were travellers (32.2%). ELISA values were available for 109 subjects (90.1%), 56 individual left malaria endemic area > 3 years before. All donors tested negative for Plasmodium spp PCR test (n = 121, 100%). Conclusions None of the subjects with a positive immunologic test deferred as blood donors had a positive genomic test. The presence of Plasmodium spp in collected blood was not detected by molecular techniques. To avoid the loss of potential blood donors, especially those with low incidence red blood cell antigens, as more precise microbiology techniques become available, updating the existing legislation becomes necessary to increase the availability of donated blood.
Imported strongyloidiasis is increasingly being diagnosed in non-endemic areas. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients ...with imported strongyloidiasis in Spain.
This is an observational retrospective study that included all patients diagnosed of strongyloidiasis registered in the +REDIVI Collaborative Network from 2009 to 2017. Demographic, epidemiological and clinical information was collected from the +REDIVI database, and extra information regarding microbiological techniques, treatment and follow-up was requested to participant centers.
Overall, 1245 cases were included. Most of them were immigrants (66.9%), and South America was the most frequent area of origin. Detection of larvae in stool samples was observed in 21.9% of the patients, and serological tests allowed making the diagnosis in the rest of the cases. Eosinophilia was present in 82.2% of cases. Treatment with ivermectin (compared with albendazole) was the most strongly associated factor to achieve the cure (OR 2.34).
Given the long latency of the infection and the risk of developing a severe presentation, screening of S. stercoralis infection should be mandatory in patients coming from or had traveling to endemic areas, especially in those with immunosuppressant conditions.
Chagas disease in Europe Gonzalez-Sanz, Marta; Crespillo-Andújar, Clara; Chamorro-Tojeiro, Sandra ...
Tropical medicine and infectious disease,
12/2023, Letnik:
8, Številka:
12
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Chagas disease is currently present in many non-endemic countries and remains a neglected tropical disease globally. A review of the literature identified significant gaps and scarcity of updated ...information from European countries, with most studies reporting data from Spain and Italy. The index of underdiagnosis May be as high as 70%, affecting mainly females of child-bearing age. Standardized screening of fertile, non-pregnant, women from endemic countries and subsequent treatment is considered an essential strategy to control transmission and prevent new cases, yet no uniform legislation for screening risk groups exists. There is heterogeneity in Europe in terms of preventive strategies to avoid transfusion-related transmission of Chagas disease, not necessarily in line with the European directives, with some countries conducting systematic screening for T. cruzi infection in blood donors, whilst others rely on pre-transfusion questionnaires. The growing burden of the infection in resource-rich areas May provide an opportunity for progress in certain aspects of control and prevention. Options for improving screening strategies, management and linkage to care are reviewed.
Osseous cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most complicated and devastating conditions caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Its management is difficult and there is scant literature about it. ...Areas covered: A literature review was performed to provide an update on its diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Expert commentary: In most cases diagnosis of osseous CE can only be confirmed by surgery. Osseous CE should be managed by experienced physicians and addressed as a chronic disease with therapies must be aimed at controlling the disease and its sequels or complications, rather than with a curative intent.
Vaccine-preventable diseases should be considered in returning travellers presenting with a rash. A patient with measles, probably acquired during an evacuation flight from Afghanistan to the USA, ...was diagnosed on return from Brazil. Misdiagnosis of highly contagious viral infections such as measles may have significant public health repercussions.
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