An unusual sphenoid ridge tumor: cementifying fibroma.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
A Di Rocco
Publications and source records attributed to A Di Rocco.
Parkinson's disease: progression and mortality in the L-DOPA era.
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Adult↗
The use of famotidine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.
Seven patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were enrolled in a ten week study to evaluate the efficacy of famotidine, an histamine H2-antagonist, in the treatment of bradyphrenia. Patients received famotidine 80 mg/day for a period of six weeks and were evaluated with neuropsychological tests. Overall, patients demonstrated improvement in variables measured. Some patients also reported an improvement in their motor symptoms.
Aged↗
Impaired oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate in fibroblasts from patients with Parkinson's disease.
Whether or not a reported deficiency in brain mitochondrial complex I activity in Parkinson's disease represents a defect encompassing other organs or tissues has been a source of some controversy. We have examined mitochondrial respiration in fibroblasts from patients with Parkinson's disease by measuring the oxidative decarboxylation of [2-14C]pyruvate and [1,4-14C]succinate. We report that oxidation of pyruvate but not succinate was significantly reduced in fibroblasts from Parkinson patients when compared to healthy controls. These observations support the view that a widespread deficit in mitochondrial respiration exists in Parkinson's disease. Fibroblast cultures, moreover, are a source of affected proliferating cells, which can be used for in vitro studies of the nature of the respiratory defect and for testing of pharmacological interventions to correct the deficiency.
Adult↗
MRI abnormalities in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Two patients with biopsy-proven Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease had MRI studies that revealed increased signal in the basal ganglia on T-2 weighted images, suggesting that MRI can be a useful diagnostic instrument in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Basal Ganglia↗
Low and high dose bromocriptine have different effects on striatal dopamine release: an in vivo study.
We wished to determine if low and high doses of bromocriptine produce distinct patterns of dopamine release and metabolism. Accordingly, we administered bromocriptine (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, IP) to rats and monitored extracellular concentrations of dopamine and dopamine metabolites in the corpus striatum with the technique of cerebral microdialysis. Extracellular dopamine levels increased following administration of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg bromocriptine. In contrast, dopamine levels decreased following 10 mg/kg bromocriptine. Dopamine metabolite levels decreased 45 minutes following all doses of bromocriptine. Bromocriptine administration had no effect on the levels of 5HIAA, the major serotonin metabolite. These findings with high dose bromocriptine fit the predicted profile of a dopamine D2 receptor agonist. The delayed decrease in dopamine metabolites at all bromocriptine doses is consistent with the known dopamine synthesis inhibiting action of bromocriptine. In contrast, the increased dopamine release observed following low and medium doses of bromocriptine is not readily explainable by current theories of bromocriptine action which predict decreased dopamine release and therefore decreased striatal extracellular dopamine levels with both high and low-doses of bromocriptine. Our findings indicate that bromocriptine has a complex pharmacological action that extends beyond simple agonism at dopamine D2 receptors.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
[Cholestatic jaundice secondary to distention of the gallbladder caused by cystic duct syndrome].
The Authors describe a rare case of cholestatic jaundice which persisted due to compression of the biliary tract by a hugely swollen gallbladder due to cystic duct syndrome.
Adult↗
Methionine in the treatment of nitrous-oxide-induced neuropathy and myeloneuropathy.
Two cases of severe myeloneuropathy and macrocytic anemia associated with a low serum level of vitamin B12 after prolonged exposure to nitrous oxide are reported. In both cases, the neurological manifestations worsened initially despite B12 supplementation, although in one case the use of methionine seemed to arrest the progression of the disease and accelerate recovery. This offers further support for the biochemical hypothesis of methionine synthetase inhibition by nitrous oxide and reproduces in man previously reported animal studies with methionine. Methionine may be an important first-line therapy in the initial treatment of neuropathy and myeloneuropathy induced by nitrous oxide, and has a hypothetical role in the treatment of subacute combined degeneration of the cord.
Adult↗
Delayed epidural hematoma.
A case of delayed epidural hematoma is described who had an initial computerized tomography (CT) scan reported as normal. Repeat CT scan at 48 h demonstrated a right temporal epidural hematoma. A skull fracture was not observed radiographically or at surgery. The world literature is reviewed and the criteria for repeat CT scanning is discussed.
Adult↗
[Intrahepatic biliary lithiasis: endoscopic transpapillary treatment].
Six cases of intrahepatic biliary lithiasis, condition rarely observed in western countries, are reported. Following a review of the literature and on the basis of personal experience, stress is laid on problems of classification, clinical and instrumental diagnosis and, in particular, the therapeutic approach to intrahepatic biliary lithiasis by the endoscopic transpapillary way.
Ampulla of Vater↗
[Endoscopic sphincterotomy in the treatment of biliary lithiasis. Our experience].
Endoscopic Sphincterotomy (E.S.) is a simple and efficacious method for the management of bile duct stones and papillary stenosis. In this series, the E.S. was attempted in 25 patients and performed in 23 (92%). Nine patients had common bile duct stones. Eleven patients (48%) had common bile duct and gallbladder stones. Two patients (8.7%) had intrahepatic lithiasis and one patient (4.3%) had papillary stenosis without gallstones. After E.S. all patients underwent instrument removal of bile duct stones, using "Dormia" basket and "Fogarty" balloon catheter. Transnasal bile duct drainage was performed in 20 patients (86.9%). Early complications were observed in three patients (13%); one sphincterotomy side bleeding and two acute pancreatitis, which were treated successfully conservatively. Mean follow-up was 10.7 months (range 3-27 months). Late complications did not occur for the method and/or for gallbladder stones. Four patients over 80 years of age, died for unrelated causes during follow-up.
Aged↗
[Therapeutic advances in neoplastic hematology: target therapy anti-CD33].
Antibodies capable to recognize antigen expressed on cancer cells represents the ideal approach for targeted anti neoplastic therapies. The CD33 antigen is present on 90% of acute myeloid leukemia blasts and is shared on normal hemopoietic cells only on the non stem dillerentiating fraction. Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) is an engineered humanized antibody anti-CD33 conjugated with a potent intercalating agent, named calicheamicin, which is release only at intracellular level (lower pH), following a selective binding to CD33-positive cells, thus representing a promising approach for target anti-leukemia therapy. GO was approved conditionally by the Federal Drug Administration in May 2000 as a single therapy for first recurrence of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in a subset of older patients. Since 2000, treatment trials and pilot studies have revealed potential expanded applications along with potential limitations. Phase II trials have confirmed the activity and the efficacy of GO as single agent in the treatment of relapsed AML. More recently, clinical trials on induction and post-remission treatment of adult AML have shown efficacy of GO in combination chemotherapy. The strong and homogeneous CD33 expression in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), have resulted in an effective treatment of this disease with GO used as salvage treatment, as well as innovative approach for molecular relapsed patients. However, the incidence of veno-occlusive disease, better defined as sinusoidal occlusive syndrome (SOS), must be taken into account as potential complication associated with the GO administration, especially in patients treated with ablative regimens. In conclusion, the extension of the approval in Italy to AML CD33+ in relapsed, regardless age limitation, along with the ongoing evaluation by the European EMEA, represent the basis for a large clinical application of GO in myeloid malignancies potentially extended to paediatric patients with AML and to ALL CD33+.
Acute Disease↗