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A R Virgili

Publications and source records attributed to A R Virgili.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Immunoscintigraphy in malignant melanoma: a five-year clinical experience.

Immunoscintigraphy (IS) with 99Tcm-labelled anti-melanoma monoclonal antibody F(ab')2 fragments was performed in 135 melanoma patients, 64 males and 71 females, aged 19-82 years (mean 52.3 years) between December 1987 and December 1991. The first group of IS was performed in 50 patients before surgery to assess optimal management: seven true positive and one true negative were obtained in ocular and visceral melanomas, while in cutaneous MM sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in assessing lymph node involvement were, respectively, 61.5, 93.3 and 83.7%. The second group of 128 IS is relative to 85 patients in follow-up: excluding 13 cases with known metastatic disease and 12 inconclusive tests, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were, respectively, 83.3, 98.8 and 96.1%. Immunoscintigraphy is free of side effects even after repeated administrations and is a useful adjunct to standard diagnostic techniques as a basis for treatment decisions.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Immunoscintigraphic localization in a benign thyroid neoplasm of a monoclonal antibody directed against melanoma.

In a prospective study for evaluation of the use of a monoclonal antibody directed against melanoma in the staging of patients affected by malignant melanoma, we report monoclonal antibody uptake in a follicular thyroid adenoma. Computed tomography, ultrasonography, and pertechnetate scintigraphy did not provide a certain diagnosis. Only pathologic examination of the surgical specimen was conclusive.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1984

Thiopronine-induced pemphigus vulgaris in rheumatoid arthritis.

Thiopronine, a D-penicillamine-like agent, is being prescribed increasingly for RA. Among side effects, only benign skin reactions have been mentioned to date. A single case of pemphigus erythematosus induced by this drug was recently reported. We describe here 3 other patients who developed pemphigus vulgaris during long-term thiopronine therapy and who improved after the drug was stopped.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Herpes simplex virus and human cancer. III. Search for relationship of herpes simplex antibodies and cervical dysplasia and labial neoplasia.

We employed the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect hemagglutination (IHA), and complement fixation (CF) methods to measure antibody titer to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in patients affected by labial tumors or cervical dysplasias. No relationship of antibody titer to HSV-1 and labial tumors was detected by any of the three methods. Association between antibody titer to HSV-2 and cervical dysplasias was revealed by IHA (p less than 0.05) and ELISA (p less than 0.001); CF tests were negative. Moreover, we assayed for HSV-specific antigens in cell cultures derived from labial tumors and cervical dysplasias. In cultures from labial tumors, it was not possible to detect HSV-specific antigens. Of the 25 cultures derived from cervical dysplasias, HSV antigens were found in only 3 cultures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability and accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in cutaneous malignant melanoma.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were 1) to investigate whether sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy could become the method of choice for the early detection of metastatic disease in patients with malignant melanoma and 2) to identify those patients with lymph node metastases who could benefit from regional lymphadenectomy. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Our study started in March 1998 and involved 110 patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma stage I or II (AJCC) in whom the primary lesion had been surgically removed no more than 90 days previously. On the day of lymph node dissection patients were given an intradermal injection of colloid particles of human serum albumin labeled with technetium-99m and an injection of isosulfan blue. The surgical procedure was usually performed with local anesthesia but in some cases locoregional or general anesthesia was preferred. Contralateral and ipsilateral lymphatic areas were scanned with a hand-held gamma camera (Scintiprobe MR 100) to measure the background and identify the hot point indicating the location of the sentinel node to direct the incision. RESULTS: The combined use of lymphoscintigraphy, isosulfan blue and gamma probe allowed us to identify sentinel nodes in 108 of 110 patients (98.18%) while the SLN was blue in only 90 cases (81.81%). The SLN was positive for metastases in 13 of the 108 patients (12.03%) and regional and distal lymphadenectomy was performed in all of them. The distribution of positive SLNs by primary lesion thickness was as follows: 0.76-1.5 mm: one positive SLN/44 patients (2.27%); 1.51-4 mm: six positive SLNs/51 patients (11.7%); > 4 mm: six positive SLNs/15 patients (40%). Only four of 12 patients with ulcerated cutaneous melanoma had positive SLNs. The patients in our study underwent follow-up visits every four months. The median follow-up was 481 days (range, 97-1271 days). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with primary cutaneous melanoma the histological status of the SLN accurately reflects the presence or absence of metastatic disease in the relevant regional lymph node basin. Complete lymph node dissection should only be performed in patients with positive SLNs. Patients with lesions > 4 mm are likely to develop recurrences and to die of systemic disease, so in these patients the usefulness of SLN biopsy is questionable. In conclusion, sentinel node mapping is a rational approach for the selection of patients who might benefit from early lymph node dissection of the affected basin.

Adult↗