Search

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, yet its magnitude is often underestimated. Biological and gender differences affect health, diagnosis, and healthcare in numerous ways. The lack of sex and gender awareness in health research and healthcare is an ongoing issue that affects not only research but also treatment and outcomes. The importance of recognizing the impacts of both sex and gender on health and of knowing the differences between the two in healthcare is beginning to gain ground. There is more appreciation of the roles that biological differences (sex) and sociocultural power structures (gender) have, and both sex and gender affect health behavior, the development of diseases, their diagnosis, management, and the long-term effects of an illness. An important issue is the knowledge and awareness of women about vascular diseases. The risk of cardiovascular events is drastically underestimated by women themselves, as well as by those around them. The purpose of this review is to draw attention to improving the medical care and treatment of women with vascular diseases.

Primary giant-cell carcinoma of the lung is an infrequent observation. It is distinguished clinically solely its fairly rapid development but otherwise it does not seem to have any predilection for localization, age or sex. Histologically, differential diagnosis with othe tumours such as angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, chorioepithelioma and others is of interest. Three cases of primary giant-cell carcinoma of the lung are reported and the various clinical and anatomopathological aspects discussed.

The Authors report a case of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus in a 66-year-old alcoholic. The symptomatology was characterized essentially by epigastralgie and vomiting culminating in violent retrosternal pain radiating to the back and by shock. X-rays taken an hour after hospitalization showed an increase of pulmonary hypodiaphania with presence of pleural effusion at the left base, cervicothoracic subcutaneous emphysema. Emergency surgery was performed by thoracotomy associated with suture of the esophageal opening with drainage of the supradiaphragmatic and pleural region. However, the patient died on the 10th day of broncopulmonary complications. The Authors therefore believe that the triad pain, shock and mediastinal thoracico-cervical emphysema should be considered pathognomonical of Boerhaave's syndrome and thus be kept in mind by the surgeon employed in a Division of Emergency Surgery and First Aid.