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Biomedical subjects

B Barresi

Publications and source records attributed to B Barresi.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Interventional treatment of sialoliths in main salivary glands.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventional radiology in the treatment of sialolithiasis, as the first-choice treatment for the removal of stones located in the middle and proximal tracts of the main salivary ducts, and to assess its limitations and contraindications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between February 1998 and May 2001 eleven interventional removals of sialoliths were performed for recurrent obstruction of the main salivary duct associated with chronic sialadenitis. Patients were selected on the basis of a preliminary sialogram, designed to determine the location and size of the stone. Exclusion criteria were location of the stone in the gland hilum or intraglandular stone, maximum stone diameter >20% of the duct calibre, signs of adherence of the stone to the duct wall. Stone removal, performed after obtaining informed consent, involved administering antibiotic therapy and local anaesthesia, and dilatating the duct ostium to enable introduction of the basket catheter. The basket was then advanced along the duct under fluoroscopic guidance and suitably manoeuvred so as to capture and extract the stone. On completing the procedure a sialogram was taken to ensure the complete patency of the duct. Patients were prescribed a short course of antibiotics and were followed up at 1, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: In 10/11 patients the stone was located in Wharton's duct and in 1/11 in Stensen's duct. Removal of the calculus was successful in 10/11 patients; in 2 of these it was necessary to reintroduce the basket after extraction of the stone, in order to eliminate small stone fragments and salivary sand; in 1 patient a preliminary balloon-catheter sialoplasty was performed prior to the procedure to dilatate a distal stenosis caused by chronic sialadenitis; in 3 patients it was necessary to make a small incision in the orifice to introduce the dilator. Removal of the sialolith was unsuccessful in 1/11 of the patients treated, as it proved impossible to capture the calculus, even after repeated attempts. 8/11 patients reported pain during the procedure and swelling in the gland region immediately after the procedure, which resolved spontaneously within 24-48 hours. 9/11 patients remained asymptomatic in the follow-up; only 1/11 patients experienced a recurrence of sialadenitis after a short time, with pus secretion, which resolved with antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The interventional removal of sialoliths in the salivary glands is an effective alternative to the conventional treatment of obstructive diseases of the glandular ducts.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Guideline development process for optometric care of the patient with diabetes mellitus. American Optometric Association.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this project was to develop a standard of optometric care for patients with diabetes mellitus in an effort to help the clinician bridge the gap between research and practice. These guidelines are intended to assist optometric practitioners in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management, and rehabilitation of their patients. The guidelines are based on the best available research and professional judgment regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of optometric care and procedures. METHODS: This paper details the methodology used by the AOA's Clinical Guidelines Coordinating Committee, Consensus Panel and the Center for Vision Care Policy of the State College of Optometry, SUNY, to develop practice guidelines for patients with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMed1982

Visual action therapy for global aphasia.

Eight globally aphasic patients who had not responded to traditional treatment received Visual Action Therapy (VAT), a nonvocal approach which ultimately trains patients to produce symbolic gestures for visually absent stimuli. Statistical analyses of pre and post VAT scores earned on the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (PICA) showed highly significant improvement on those subtests which measure pantomimic and auditory comprehension skills. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Response of an agrammatic patient to a syntax stimulation program for aphasia.

A Syntax Stimulation Program (SSP) based on the findings of neurolinguistic studies of agrammatic aphasic patients was used to treat one patient with a three year history of severe agrammatism. The SSP is designed to elicit eight different sentence constructions at two levels of difficulty using a story completion technique. The patient received pre-, mid- and post-treatment testing with the Northwestern Syntax Screening Test (NSST) and the cookie theft picture description of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE). With 10 1/2 weeks of treatment, the patient's NSST expressive scores improved from 0 to 21, and his BDAE picture description showed increased phrase length and use of grammatical constructions. In addition, with this special treatment, the patient was able to produce grammatical speech in spontaneous conversation. Thus, the SSP appears to have therapeutic merit in training syntactic skills in presumably stable agrammatic patients.

Adult↗