Revista médica de Chile
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Finasteride is a 5-α reductase inhibitor that is widely used in the management of benign prostate hyperplasia and male pattern hair loss. It is well known that these agents improve the quality of life in men suffering from these conditions. However, they are associated with some transient and even permanent adverse effects. The aim of this article is to clarify the controversies about the safety of finasteride by analyzing the evidence available in the literature.
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Revista médica de Chile · Dec 2016
[Importance of respiratory virus in immunocompetent adult patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia].
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a relevant worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality in adult population, however its etiology is often not identified and therapy is empirical. ⋯ The use of molecular diagnostic techniques expanded the detection of respiratory viruses in immunocompetent adults hospitalized with CAP.
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Revista médica de Chile · Nov 2016
[Electrocautery and bronchoscopy as a first step for the management of central airway obstruction and associated hemoptysis].
Central airway obstruction caused by malignant or benign lesions, associated in some cases with hemoptysis, is a condition with high morbidity and mortality. The use of electrocautery by flexible bronchoscopy is an initial treatment option with immediate improvement of obstruction symptoms. It is as effective as Nd: YAG laser. ⋯ Electrocautery during flexible bronchoscopy is an effective and safe procedure for the management of central airway obstruction and associated hemoptysis.
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Cutaneous melanoma is a highly aggressive tumor developing from melanocytes, its incidence is increasing, and prognosis in advanced stages is daunting. New therapies have been approved during the recent years with unprecedented results, including inhibitors of MAPK/ERK pathway and immune checkpoint blockade (anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) as ipilimumab, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1) as pembrolizumab and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 ligand (PD-L1), among many others). The aim of this paper is to review currently available metastatic melanoma therapies focusing mainly on new therapies that have demonstrated effectiveness, after several decades of little progress in the treatment of this disease.