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Quality indicators are tools to measure and improve quality of care. These indicator may evaluate estructural process or outcome measures. Development of quality indicators is a important goal of the quality program in a clinical department.

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAS) is characterized by the isolated presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in the absence of other immunological changes. Its association with ischemic cerebrovascular disease is rarely reported. This study analyzes this association in 10 patients (8 women) first presenting with ischemic cerebrovascular accident (ICVA) that met the criteria for PAS. The average age of the patients was 50.4 years. Two patients had Sneddon's syndrome. Prolonged thromboplastin partial activation time was found in only three patients. Eight started aspirin therapy. The average time of follow-up was 17.2 months, during which there was one relapse. PAS should be included as a possible cause when examining individuals with ICVA, particularly when patients are young, when abortion has occurred or when no other cause is evident. Acetylsalicylic acid is effective for preventing relapse when other vascular risk factors are carefully controlled.

Neoplastic lumbosacral plexopathy is a frequent and disabling complication in subjects with cancer. Its clinical presentation is characterized by pain, muscle weakness, sensory complaints in one or occasionally both limbs associated with the tumoral symptoms. The presence of autonomic symptoms is less frequent; one of these is the "hot and dry foot". We present two patients, one with prostatic cancer and the other with myxoid liposarcoma, who developed a lumbosacral plexopathy as a manifestation of the extension of the neoplastic process; in both cases there was in addition a clear difference in the temperature of the affected limb. Although infrequent, the "hot and dry foot" it constitutes an early sign of metastatic plexopathy which facilitates the differential diagnosis with preforaminal lumbosciatic radiculopathies.