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Resumen: Introducción: El manejo endovascular para patologías de la aorta ha aumentado como opción para pacientes de alto riesgo quirúrgico de cirugía convencional abierta. Los resultados a corto plazo para mortalidad, libertad de enfermedad y reintervención, evidencian resultados favorables respecto a la cirugía abierta, pero a mediano (1-12 meses) y largo plazo (>1 año) no existen resultados en nuestro medio. Métodos: Estudio de cohorte bidireccional, en el cual se realizó el segmento retrospectivo en pacientes sometidos a manejo endovascular con prótesis aórtica y el segmento prospectivo en el seguimiento de los pacientes. Resultados: Se identificaron 194 pacientes entre abril de 2002 y diciembre de 2015 sometidos a tratamiento endovascular, que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión. El seguimiento se completó en el 82,2%. 92 casos (56.8%) de aorta abdominal con un seguimiento de 4,9 años (RIC 2,5-8,9. La sobrevida calculada fue 92% al año, 86% 2 años y 66.4% a los 5 años. El periodo libre de enfermedad fue 88.7% al año, 86.4% 2 años y 78.5% a los 10 años y 13 pacientes requirieron reintervención. 67 casos de aorta torácica con un seguimiento de 5,3 años (RIC 2,9-10.2), la sobrevida calculada 94% al año, 90.7% 2 años y 75.2% a los 5 años. El periodo libre de enfermedad fue 88.7% al año, 86.4% 2 años y 78.5% a los 10 años y 9 pacientes requirieron reintervención. Conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos son favorables e incentivan para continuar ofreciendo el abordaje endovascular ya que la supervivencia y la libertad de reoperación se encuentran de acuerdo con lo reportado en la literatura. Abstract: Introduction: The endovascular management for diseases of the aorta has increased as an option for patients of high risk for conventional open surgery. The short-term mortality, disease-free and reoperation results, show favourable outcomes compared to open surgery, but there are no results available in this country for the medium (1-12 months) and long-term (>1 year). Methods: A bi-directional cohort study, in which the retrospective segment was conducted on patients subjected to endovascular management with an aortic replacement, and the prospective segment on the follow-up of the patients. Results: A total of 194 patients, subjected to endovascular treatment and met the inclusion criteria, were identified between April 2002 and December 2015. The follow-up was completed in 82.2% of cases. There were 92 (56.8%) cases of abdominal aorta with a mean follow-up of 4.9 years (95% range; 2.5-8.9). The calculated survival was 92% at one year, 86% at 2 years, and 66.4% at 5 years. The period free of disease was 88.7% at one year, 86.4% at 2 years, and 78.5% at 10 years, with 13 patients requiring re-operation.There were 67 cases of thoracic aorta, with a mean follow-up of 5.3 years (95% range; 2.9-10.2). The calculated survival was 94% at one year, 90.7% at 2 years, and 75.2% at 5 years. The period free of disease was 88.7% at one year, 86.4% at 2 years, and 78.5% at 10 years, and 9 patients required re-operation. Conclusions: The results obtained are favourable and are encouraging to continue offering the endovascular approach since the re-operation survival is similar to that reported in the literature. Palabras clave: Aorta torácica, Aorta abdominal, Enfermedades de la aorta, Aneurisma de la aorta, Procedimientos endovasculares, Keywords: Thoracic aorta, Abdominal aorta, Aortic diseases, Aortic aneurysm, Endovascular procedures

Effectiveness of treatment with domiciliary nocturnal noninvasive positive pressure ventilation is analyzed in a group of patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation of different etiologies. It was applied with two levels of pressure (BiPAP) via nasal mask. Criteria for evaluation were symptomatology and improvement in gas exchange. Data were analyzed by Student t tests. A total of 13 patients were included, mean age 55.7 range 20 to 76 years (5 male 8 female). Main diagnosis was tuberculosis in 6, four of them having had surgical procedure (thoracoplasty 2, frenicectomy 1 and neumonectomy 1), myopathy 3 (myasthenia gravis 1, muscular dystrophy 1 and diaphragmatic paralysis 1), obesity-hypoventilation syndrome 1, escoliosis 1, bronchiectasis 1 and cystic fibrosis 1. These last two patients were on waiting list for lung transplantation. At the moment of consultation, the symptoms were: dysnea 13/13 (100%), astenia 13/13 (100%), hypersomnolency 10/13 (77%), cephalea 9/13 (69%), leg edema 6/13 (46%), loss of memory 6/13 (46%). Regarding gas exchange, they showed hypoxemia and hypercapnia. Mean follow up was of 2.2 years (range 6 months to 4 years). Within the year, all 13 patients became less dyspneic. Astenia, hypersomnolency, cephalea, leg edema and memory loss disappeared. Improvement in gas exchange was: PaO2/FiO2 from 269 +/- 65.4 (basal) to 336.7 +/- 75.3 post-treatment (p = 0.0018). PaCO2 from 70.77 +/- 25.48 mmHg (basal) to 46.77 +/- 8.14 mmHg (p = 0.0013). Ventilatory support was discontinued en 5 patients: three because of pneumonia requiring intubation and conventional mechanical ventilation, two of them died and one is still with tracheostomy; One patient with bronchiectasis and one with cystic fibrosis were transplanted. The remaining eight patients are stable. In conclusion, chronic alveolar hypoventilation can be effectively treated with domiciliary nocturnal noninvasive ventilation. Long term improvement in symptomatology and arterial blood gases can be obtained without significant complications.

A 37 year old female smoker was admitted with an acute episode of fever and pulmonary infiltrates followed by respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation in less than 24 hours. After empiric antibiotic therapy fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were carried out. Abnormal findings were limited to highly increased eosinophilic count in BAL. Blood eosinophils were normal. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia was diagnosed and methyl prednisolone was administered; 48 hours afterwards, infiltrates had partially resolved and the patient was weaned from ventilator. After two years follow up, she has not had recurrences of the episode, is asymptomatic and her chest Xray is normal. A review of the literature is presented and physiopathological mechanisms for acute eosinophilic pneumonia are considered. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare but potentially curable cause of respiratory failure that should be included in diagnostic considerations.