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Biomedical subjects

C Spinelli

Publications and source records attributed to C Spinelli.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Carcinoma of the parathyroids. Surgical experience in 3 cases].

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of hyperparathyroidism (rate of occurrence of 0.5% of all parathyroid neoplasms). In this report we describe three cases of parathyroid carcinoma seen in our Institution and we analyse the clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and pathological findings of this disease. The three patients were 14, 22 and 45 year old respectively. Familial history was negative for endocrine diseases. The laboratory and instrumental findings of thyroid and adrenal glands were negative. Predominant symptoms were in all cases weakness, lethargy, bone and muscular pain, nausea, vomiting. The two young patients presented fractures of the inferior limb and of the forearm respectively, five years and one year before the diagnosis. X-ray examination and MNR easily demonstrated the "brown tumors". In two cases a symptomatic nephrolithiasis was present. The 14 year old child presented polyuria and polydipsia. In all cases a mass was palpable in the neck (two in the right side and one in the left one). The elevated serum calcium concentration (15, 18, and 20.2 mg/dl respectively) and the elevated serum PTH (480, 651, and 680 pg/ml respectively) allowed the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism. Ultrasound scan and thallium-technetium scanning identified in all cases a mass adjacent the thyroid. A radical resection of the malignant parathyroid gland and the ipsilateral thyroid lobe was performed in two cases, while only a resection of the involved parathyroid gland in one case. The diagnosis of parathyroid cancer was established using pathologic criteria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Cardiac echinococcosis. Case report and review of the literature].

Cardiac echinococcosis is a rare disease. We report the case of a patient affected by cardiac echinococcosis who underwent surgical treatment successfully. A forty year old woman was hospitalized referring palpitation and dyspnea. The patient had undergone surgical pericystectomy of the right lobe of the liver for echinococcosis 6 month before. Chest X-ray film showed a round opacity well delineated on the left side of the heart, Ghedini reaction was negative, ECG was normal. After a review of literature we analyze anatomo-clinic and therapeutic aspects of the disease.

Adult↗

[Use of ultrafiltration in refractory cardiac decompensation].

Traditional therapy for heart failure (diuretics, digitalic compound, vasodilators, inodilatory ACE-inhibitors) cannot arrest the progressive overloading of the circulatory system so that it is inevitable that a refractory stage to all forms of treatment will be reached when more specialised techniques, such as heart transplant and ultrafiltration will be needed. The paper reports the results obtained in 13 patients in ultrafiltration treatment for refractory heart failure: in the majority of these, a marked improvement in general conditions (edema, dyspnea) was recorded together with a regression from class 5 to class 3 NYHA in 5 patients, and to class 2 for others. The ultrafiltration method in spite of not altering the prognosis which remains negative in these patients, allow those waiting for heart transplant to survive and may improve their chances of surviving heart surgery.

Adult↗

Carotid body tumours. A review of eight cases.

Between 1968 and 1988, eight patients with carotid body tumour have been operated on at Istituto di Clinica Chirurgica at the University of Pisa. We undertook the follow-up of all these patients. Two of them presented with bilateral and familial lesions. There was no mortality or morbidity, except in one patient, who had the vagus resected because it was invaded by tumour. For investigation of familial occurrence we have found ultrasound very useful for screening.

Aged↗

Multicentric breast tumour: an anatomical-clinical study of 100 cases.

Multicentric tumours (MT) represent a potential limit to the treatment by conservative surgery of cancer of the breast. In order to determine which anatomical-clinical features of breast cancer would indicate the highest risk of MT, we studied 100 patients with MT and 452 patients with unicentric tumours (UT), all of whom had been subjected to radical mastectomy during the period 1980 to 1988. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups of parameters for bilateral breast cancer (with regard both to metachronous and synchronous lesions), for primary tumours of over 2 cm in size, for both lobular and invasive ductal histotypes and for involvement of the nipple-areola complex. Therefore, if the indications in favour of conservative surgery are applied accurately in combination with radiation therapy, the clinical and biological significance of multicentricity is minimized.

Adult↗

Adenine arabinoside monophosphate and acyclovir monophosphate coupled to lactosaminated albumin reduce woodchuck hepatitis virus viremia at doses lower than do the unconjugated drugs.

The woodchuck was selected to study the efficacy of liver-targeted antiviral drugs on hepadnavirus replication. Nineteen woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus were treated with adenine arabinoside monophosphate or acyclovir monophosphate, either free or conjugated with the liver-targeting molecule lactosaminated human serum albumin. Circulating woodchuck hepatitis virus DNA levels remained unchanged in untreated animals and in those receiving the carrier lactosaminated human serum albumin alone; in contrast, they were consistently lower after 5 days of treatment with the antiviral drugs. Free and conjugated adenine arabinoside monophosphate were active at doses of 10 and 0.75 mg/kg, respectively, and free and coupled ACVMP were active at doses of 20 and 2.6 mg/kg, respectively. These results indicate that the dosages of adenine arabinoside monophosphate and acyclovir monophosphate required to inhibit hepadnavirus growth can be sharply reduced by coupling the drugs to lactosaminated human serum albumin.

Acyclovir↗

Indications and adequacy of automated peritoneal dialysis in 74 patients.

Experience with chronic intermittent peritoneal dialysis is reviewed to focus on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) regimens, adequacy and indications. From 1969 to 1990, 74 ESRD patients were treated: 59 patients with Intermittent Peritoneal Dialysis (IPD: 30-40 l x 3/week) and fifteen patients with hour Daily Peritoneal Dialysis (DPD: 25 l x 6 nights/week). Fourty-four patients were regularly treated with IPD. Of these 33 were adequately dialysed, maintaining residual renal function, whilst oligo-anuric patients developed underdialysis. DPD patients were adequately dialysed, having satisfactory peritoneal clearances. Peritonitis rate was 1/19.2 pt months in IPD patients and 1/13.4 pt months in DPD patients. Technique survival was 78% at the end of the first year, and 52% the second year. IPD is adequate only for low body weight patients with residual renal function. In-hospital IPD must be taken into account only for patients unable to perform dialysis without partner assistance. Home DPD, like CCPD and NPD, is generally adequate and yields fairly good quality of life, but the cost is high, probably because of limited ADP diffusion. Prescription must be therefore restricted to patients unable to perform dialysis with working partners, workers who cannot cope with CAPD exchanges, and CAPD failures.

Adolescent↗

[Role of diaphanoscopy in breast diseases].

The diagnostic value of diaphanoscopy in a series of 200 cases of breast diseases, all confirmed by cytohistologic examination, is illustrated. Diaphanoscopy showed a high sensitivity towards haemorrhagic cysts, early age fibroadenomas, adenosic dysplasia, haematomas as well as carcinomas.

Adult↗

[Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver associated with cardial achalasia, situs viscerum inversus and gastric mucosal ectopia in the duodenum].

The authors describe the clinical case of a young woman with a focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver associated with achalasia of the cardia, situs inversus totalis and ectopy of gastric mucosa in duodenum, and discuss the etiopathogenic aspects of the hepatic lesion. The frequent association of the FNH with various malformations, as the literature and this case-report relate, seems to confirm the hypothesis of a dysgenetic hamartomatous origin. Therefore any liver single mass in a patient with a malformative syndrome must rouse the suspicion of a FNH.

Adult↗

[The evaluation of urinary NAG activity in patients undergoing urography].

A study has been carried out to verify the nephrotoxic effect of hyperosmotic substances used as a contrast medium in radiology employing the enzymuria technique (NAG). The research was carried out in 202 patients, some of whom diabetic, suffering from various pathologies and subjected to perfusion urography by inoculating an iodate contrast medium (isopaque). The result showed that NAG urinary activity grows significant in the 24-36 hours subsequent to X-ray examination in both diabetics and nondiabetics although the increase is greater in the former. After 5-7 days, enzymuria returns to normal in nondiabetic patients but remains high in the diabetic.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Membranous nephropathy associated with giant lymph node hyperplasia. A case report with histological and ultrastructural studies.

A young woman presented with nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy and a localized form of giant lymph node hyperplasia (Castleman's disease) occurring as a large intra-abdominal mass. Five months after surgical removal of the mass, only mild proteinuria persisted. Twenty months later a second kidney biopsy showed a near-normal morphology. Six years later the patient was free of symptoms and had normal urinalysis. Reviewing the pertinent literature, it seems to be the first case of a biopsy-proven cure of membranous nephropathy in a patient with membranous nephropathy and Castleman's disease.

Adolescent↗

[A comparison between the urinary and serum NAG activity in subjects with chronic nephropathies and essential arterial hypertension].

Various substances can interfere with the urinary activity of N-acetyl-beta-D-glycosaminidase (NAG), particularly certain bacteria that exert inhibitory or enhancing effects on the enzyme. Clearly, all this constitutes a limitation on the use of the technique. For these reasons, in patients suffering from interstitial and glomerular nephropathies and essential arterial hypertension a comparative study was carried out between the activity of urinary and serum NAG to establish if the latter produces more reliable results than the former. The results of urinary NAG activity confirm that there is no significant difference between healthy subjects and those with essential arterial hypertension; on the other hand, nephropathic patients present significantly higher urinary enzyme activity than healthy controls. On the other hand, evaluation of serum NAG does not seem to provide any practical aid as it does not highlight any difference between measurements carried out in healthy subjects and those carried out in hypertensive patients or those suffering from interstitial or glomerular nephropathy.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

[Neck masses in childhood. Surgical experience in 154 cases].

Neck masses of children often constitute a complex problem of diagnosis and treatment. Despite the currently available diagnostic techniques, excisional biopsy still remains the procedure of first choice in a high percentage of cases to obtain a definitive diagnosis. In the present research, we analyze the problems of differential diagnosis and surgical treatment of neck masses in children, on the basis of 154 cases recruited in 20 years (at the Dept. of Surgery of the University of Pisa). Specific and unspecific lymphadenitis were observed in 26 (16.9%: and 18 cases 18 cases (11.7%), respectively. Hodgkins' lymphoma was present in 12 patients (7.8%). Thyroid disorders were diagnosed in 48 cases; 31 (20.1%) of these were benign, and 17 (11.1%) were malignant. Thirty-nine children showed congenital anomalies: 26 (16.9%) suffered from cysts of the thyroglossal duct, 10 (6.5%) from branchial abnormalities, and 3 (1.9%) from cystic lymphangioma. Two dermoid cysts (1.3%) and 2 parotid gland mixed tumours (1.3%) were also observed. The deep knowledge of embryology and anatomy of the neck, a careful clinic examination, an echography, as well as a fine needle-aspiration, seem thus essential to achieve the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Adolescent↗

[Perforations in free peritoneum in Crohn disease].

Among Crohn's disease complications, perforation in free peritoneum is extremely rare, this being due to the disease's anatomopathological characteristics. Three cases of free perforation are described: one of the colon and two of the intestine. On the basis of the results of surgical treatment, straightforward suture of the perforation is contraindicated. The most rational treatment, when possible, is resection with immediate or deferred reconstruction.

Adolescent↗

[Neoplasm on cholecysto-jejunal anastomosis: an endoscopic diagnosis].

Bilio-digestive anastomoses represent a tried and tested surgical procedure in lithiasic or neoplastic type obstructions of the main biliary way. Among long-term postoperative complications the case of neoplasia in the stomy is rare. A clinical case of neoplasia on cholecystojejunal anastomosis diagnosed endoscopically is reported. The physiopathological aspects are discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗