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Biomedical subjects

D Besana

Publications and source records attributed to D Besana.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

[Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Description of 2 clinical cases].

The paper describes the clinical symptoms and biochemical tests carried out in two girls suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The most typical clinical feature, which is common to both cases, was the presence of skin alterations at the extensor surface level of elbows and, above all, knees. These alterations appeared to be delimited areas with irregular margins where the skin was thin, dry, hyperpigmented, wrinkled, with scanty or absent subcutaneous tissue. Biochemical tests carried out on cutaneous fibroblast cultures excluded the presence type I collagen alterations and an altered secretion of type I or III procollagen secretion. The Authors discuss the attribution of cases presented within the context of the various forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in relation to clinical findings and the results of the biochemical tests.

Adolescent

Noninvasive assessment of left ventricular function in myotonic muscular dystrophy.

In order to assess left ventricular function, measurements of left ventricular internal dimension and its rate of change have been made by echocardiography in 7 patients with myotonic dystrophy and the three children of one of them, who were clinically normal but had abnormal muscle biopsies. Electrocardiograms and systolic time intervals were also recorded in all. Only one patient had signs of overt heart disease and an abnormal electrocardiogram (type B WPW). Systolic time intervals were normal in all 7 patients. Five subjects had echocardiographic abnormalities, which were of minor degree except in the patient with overt heart disease who had considerable impairment of both systolic and diastolic left ventricular function. Another patient had abnormalities of both systolic and diastolic function; systolic abnormalities occurred alone in one patient and diastolic abnormalities alone in one relative. It is concluded that patients with myotonic dystrophy and no clinical signs of heart disease may have minor abnormalities of left ventricular function as shown by echocardiography. Echocardiography is more sensitive than systolic time intervals in detecting these abnormalities; both systolic and diastolic function abnormalities, alone or together, can occur. There seems to be no relation between involvement of skeletal and cardiac muscle.

Adolescent

[Progressive spinal amyotrophy. Nosographic problems].

After a bibliographical revue on progressive spinal amyotrophy the nosographical aspects of the various forms are discussed, above all the proximal ones. Considering personal observations, the conclusion is that a definite differences is the various forms of proximal spinal amyotrophy does not exist and today they are different expressions of the same illness.

Adolescent