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Biomedical subjects

E Fiorentino

Publications and source records attributed to E Fiorentino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Significance of P16INK4A hypermethylation gene in primary head/neck and colorectal tumors: it is a specific tissue event? Results of a 3-year GOIM (Gruppo Oncologico dell'Italia Meridionale) prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Methylation of the p16 promoter is one of the most frequent mechanisms of gene inactivation; its incidence is extremely variable according to the type of tumor involved. Our purpose was to analyze the hypermethylation of the p16 promoter in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC), salivary gland (SG) tumors and in colorectal cancer (CRC), to detect any possible association with the clinicopathological features and to determine the prognostic significance of the p16 gene in the tumors analyzed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The hypermethylation of the p16 promoter was prospectively analyzed, by MSP, in a consecutive series of 64 locally advanced LSCC patients, in a consecutive series of 33 SG tumor patients and in a consecutive series of 66 sporadic CRC patients. RESULTS: Hypermethylation was observed in 9% of the LSCC cases, in all cases of SG cancer and in 21% of the CRC cases. No significant association was observed between p16 hypermethylation and clinicopathological variables in all the tissue samples analyzed. Moreover at univariate analysis p16 mutations were not independently related at disease relapse and death in LSCC and CRC. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the lack of p16 function could happen in advanced stage of SG tumors.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2002

Digital cineradiographic swallow study: our experience.

PURPOSE: Swallowing disorders can be secondary to different types of diseases in which, at least initially, patients succeed in establishing voluntary or involuntary compensatory mechanisms that enable them to maintain a sufficient nutritional state. When the compensatory mechanisms become insufficient massive food aspiration into the airways can occur and suffocation may prove to be the main pathology. It has been calculated that in the USA about 8,000-10,000 people die each year due to suffocation. The dynamic radiological examination of swallowing is considered important not only for diagnosis, but also for planning a rehabilitation therapy and type of nutrition for the patient and for verifying the results of the therapy. The aim of this study is to analyse the results of our experience in the use of the digital cineradiography system to evaluate patients with normal and pathological swallowing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the digital cineradiography of 220 patients that at no time had undergone surgery and presented no organic pharyngeal or oesophageal disease (excluding hiatus hernia). All the exams followed a standard protocol that included the dynamic evaluation of the larynx, soft palate, pharynx, and gastro-oesophageal junction with a cineradiographic sequence of 12 frames/second with a 512x1024 matrix. There was also an archive of the film in a post-processing console. The patients received single photograms (printed on laserfilm), videotape recordings or CD-ROM of the dynamic exam. RESULTS: 137 (62%) of the patients did not present swallowing alterations although only 7 patients had a negative examination. In 35 cases hiatus hernia was appreciable while in 69 cases the hernia was associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux. In 23 cases aspecific functional disorders of the oesophagus were demonstrated and in 3 cases achalasia. The remaining 83 patients (38%) (37 males and 46 females, average age 57.02 yrs) presented alterations of the oral and/or pharyngeal stages of swallowing: reduction in soft-palate motility (2 cases), unilateral paralysis of the vocal chords (1 case), incontinence of the bolus during the oral stage (8 cases), lingual movement anomalies (4 cases), subepiglottic penetration (62 cases), asymmetric epiglottic tilt, aspiration of the contrast medium in the airway (17 cases), reduction of laryngeal and hyoid bone movement (9 cases), bolus retained in the valleculae and pyriform sinus (13 cases), cricopharyngeal spasm (6 cases), pharyngeal paralysis (1 case); hiatus hernia was also evident in 20 cases and gastro-oesophageal reflux was associated in 13 of them. Overall, 36% of the cases presented an isolated form while 64% of the cases presented a complex dysfunction with several simultaneous alterations. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The videofluorographic swallow study is an important step in the diagnostic evaluation of a dysphagic patient not only as regards the analysis of the main alteration and its capacity to confirm the presence or absence of contrast medium aspiration in the airway, but also because it provides important information on rehabilitation and nutritional orientation (oral/no oral), as well as on the results of the therapy. The recent diffusion of the digital X-ray equipment has made possible its use for the study of the organic and functional diseases of the upper alimentary tract. Currently a standard protocol for the study of swallowing with digital fluorography is not available. The technique we applied, already verified in a significant number of dysphagic patients, has allowed us to distinguish patients with normal swallowing from those with disorders of the oral and pharyngeal stage, and thus to identify disturbance and establish an appropriate rehabilitation treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Radiographic patterns in patients after antireflux surgery].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness and diagnostic accuracy of the radiologic examination of the oesophagus and stomach in the follow-up of patients who had an anti-reflux procedure with the purpose of identifying the normal radiographic pattern, possible surgical complications and the causes of failure of the surgical treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From February 1999 to September 2000, we radiographically reviewed 11 patients (5 men and 6 women) age range 17-69, mean age 49, who had a surgical procedure of fundoplication for hiatal hernia and/or gastroesophageal reflux (7 Nissen procedures, 2 Belsey-Mark IV, 1 Toupet, 1Dor). Four surgical procedures were laparoscopic, seven were open. All patients were reviewed with single contrast (barium sulphate 60% weight/volume) and/or double contrast technique (effervescent powders + barium sulphate 250% weight/volume) and with the acquisition of radiographs in upright, supine, prone, oblique and lateral positions. RESULTS: 5 of the patients who had a fundoplication procedure suffered complications. In one patient the fundoplication was tight; in two patients the fundoplication had broken and migrated in the thorax; in one the fundoplication had loosened; in one patient it had looseed and migrated in the thorax. In the remaining 6 cases, the passage of the barium column through the fundoplication was normal, as well as the intra-abdominal position of the fundoplication. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility to perform laparoscopic fundoplication procedure has increased the number of patients selected for surgical treatment. Successful relief of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms can be achieved in 90% of patients treated with antireflux fundoplication. Less than 10% of cases may have complications, with recurrence of gastroesophageal reflux manifestations. The radiographic examination of the esophagus and stomach still represents an effective diagnostic test in the follow-up of these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[The efficacy of i.v. immunoglobulins at high doses in a case of thrombocytopenia with an immune pathogenesis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia].

The authors report a case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with thrombocytopenia caused by antiplatelet antibodies. The customary treatments of this condition having proved ineffective, therapy with large I.V. doses of Ig (0.4 g/kg body weight daily for five consecutive days) was started, which is believed to increase platelet count although the mechanism of this action is not yet fully understood. Interesting changes in laboratory parameters were observed, especially those concerning electroimmunophoresis and immunofixation and these might be useful for a better understanding of the various hypotheses that have been put forward to account for the mechanism(s) of action possibly at work. Treatment proved effective wherefore the authors hope that further studies will be carried out in order to increase our knowledge of the modulation and regulation of the immune response, a primary element in the management of these disorders which is at present only experimental.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1991

[Esophageal manometry as a surgical indication in primary esophageal motility disorders].

Today, esophageal manometry is the diagnostic test that enables one to establish a diagnosis of esophageal motor disorder, to make the correct diagnosis among various forms of esophageal motor dyskinesia and to guide the diagnostician, whether physician or surgeon, in making the proper choice of therapy. Achalasia and diffuse esophageal spasm are two of the better known primitive esophageal motor disorders, in which an investigation into motility makes it possible to reach a diagnosis in physiopathological terms and provides guidance in selecting the appropriate therapy. The surgical indications for these two diseases are indeed conditioned significantly by the pre-operative manometric data. The extension of the extramucous esophageal myotomy is in fact guided by the manometric tracing that precisely defines the anatomic and functional boundaries of the motor disorder. Additional support provided by esophageal manometry occurs when there are indications of repeated surgery after myotomy, whether a cardiomyotomy or a long myotomy. In these cases accurate manometry can in fact clarify the origin of the possible post-operative dysphagia and, therefore, the nature of the possible stenosis, functional or organic. It should therefore be emphasized that, as now universally recognized, it would be rather careless today to confront the chapter of functional esophageal disease without the aid of manometry.

Esophageal Achalasia↗
PubMed1989

[Familial occurrence of leukemia. Cytogenetic considerations apropos of 2 cases].

The authors describe a case of family leukemia: an acute myeloid leukemia preceded by Pelger's anomaly in a 77 year old brother and a chronic myeloid leukemia chromosome Ph + in a 71 years old sister, sixteen years after the first one. The authors formulate a hypothesis that both haematologic diseases may have in common a mistake of transcription caused by an anomalous m RNA.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[Considerations on a case of hemolytic microangiopathic anemia in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder].

The authors report a case of hemolytic microangiopathic anemia (HMA) in a patient with gallbladder carcinoma with metastases to the liver, lymph nodes of the hepatic hilum, omentum, iliac bone and its bone marrow. After an overview of the literature on HMA and particularly in the peculiar mechanism of the small vessel damage, the clinical and laboratory picture is described. It is also underlined that this is the first case described in which the association of gallbladder adenocarcinoma and HMA is present. The progressive and fatal course of the disease is tied to the severe erythrocytic lysis and mechanical damage by the massive microembolization of small vessel walls by neoplastic cells. This also explains the complete uselessness of blood-transfusion therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Gastric schwannoma after Nissen fundoplication. A rare complication?

Surgical repair of an hiatal hernia results in changes in the local anatomy of the cardia and fundus that may be difficult to interpret by radiological examination. Endoscopy can clarify the radiological changes resulting from surgery, such as pseudodiverticula and pseudotumors, and, when conducted as part of the routine follow-up program, may reveal uncommon complications.

Endoscopy↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of routine follow-up after surgery for breast carcinoma.

Close postoperative follow-up of patients with breast cancer permits the early detection of possible recurrence of disease. Such follow-up allows for the detection of a tumor mass, that is small enough to permit adequate treatment leading to an increased survival time and better quality of life. Thus we studied 85 patients treated by radical mastectomy in stages I, II, and III during the period from December 1977 to June 1982. Among 82 patients, 41 had axillary node involvement and received adjuvant chemotherapy with C.M.F. All patients received a strict follow-up. Thirty-two patients showed recurrence of the disease, with 28. 1% being discovered while still asymptomatic. Seventy-five percent of the recurrences were in the first 24 months after treatment. The frequency of involved sites was different between the group of patients with involvement and the group without involvement of axillary nodes. We have concluded that in asymptomatic patients certain exams need not be repeated at frequent intervals, and we have proposed a new follow-up protocol.

Breast Neoplasms↗