Clotilde Fuentes Orozco

Quality of Life in Allergic Rhinitis in Mexico

Objective: Evaluate quality of life in untreated Mexican patients with allergic rhinitis, using the Rhinoconjunctivitis and Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ). Method: Cross-sectional survey study. Fifty-six patients with diagnosis of persistent, moderate or severe untreated allergic rhinitis from January to December 2007 were included. The RQLQ was applied to each patient. This work was done at Hospital Fray Civil Fray Antonio Alcalde, in the Otolaryngology Department (Guadalajara, Jalisco, México). Results: Fifty-six patients were included, 35 women and 21 men. The mean age was 28 years (range, 12-65 years). All of them were diagnosed with persistent allergic rhinitis: 36 moderate cases and 20 severe cases. The most common symptoms were: rhinorrhea, congestion or nasal obstruction, sneezing, fatigue, itching, and headache. All the areas had a moderate impact (2.26 to 3.75). The most affected areas were the nasal symptoms and practical problems (3.75 and 3.73). The lowest scores were observed in sleep disturbance and ocular symptoms (2.26 and 2.46). Conclusion: The quality of life of patients depends on the severity and frequency of the symptoms in its daily activities. It is a cheap instrument, easily obtained and well accepted by the patient. The Rhinoconjunctivitis and Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire should be applied in the patients.

Perforación gástrica por linfoma MALT. Reporte de caso

BACKGROUND Gastric non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare tumour that represents approximately 7% of all stomach cancers and 2% of all lymphomas. The most frequent location of gastric MALT (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue) lymphomas is in the antrum in 41% of the cases, and 33% can be multifocal. The risk of spontaneous perforation of a gastric MALT lymphoma is 4-10%. CLINICAL CASE 24 year old male patient carrying the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, who began with signs and symptoms of acute abdomen and fever 72 hours before arriving in the emergency room. A computed tomography was performed that showed free fluid in the cavity, and gastric wall thickening. The patient underwent a laparotomy, finding absence of the anterior wall of the stomach, sealed with the left lobe of the liver, colon and omentum. Total gastrectomy, with oesophagosty and jejunostomy tube, was performed. CONCLUSIONS Gastric perforation secondary to a MALT lymphoma is rare, with high mortality. There is limited information reported of this complication and should be highly suspected in order to provide appropriate treatment for a complication of this type.