Biomedical subjects
E Mattera
Publications and source records attributed to E Mattera.
[Hypothyroidism associated with retrobulbar optic neuritis. A clinical case].
The authors have described a hypothyroidism clinic event with both non-specific symptoms and retrobulbar neuritis. They conclude that the above-mentioned pathology is somewhat insidious since, affecting the whole body, it can arise with non-specific symptoms thus averting towards a wrong diagnosis.
[The nephrotic syndrome and pheochromocytoma. A report of a rare clinical case].
In clinical practice, the coincidence of nephrotic syndrome with pheochromocytoma is very rare. The case is described of a 23-year-old woman who in June 1988 presented with recurrent hypertensive crises, severe asthenia, abundant sweats, orthostatic hypertension and massive proteinuria. Diagnostic tests performed (abdominal ultrasound and CT, urinalysis, renal function tests, plasma levels of metanephrine and normetanephrine, as well as urinary VMA determination) revealed the presence of a pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland combined with nephrotic syndrome. Surgical removal of the left adrenal led to immediate normalization of blood pressure and absence of urinary abnormalities. The authors therefore suggest either an immunological pathogenesis or one due to glomerular hyperfiltration.
[Cardiomyopathy in hypothyroidism. Description of a clinical case].
The authors describe a case of hypothyroidism the only symptom of which at presentation was myopathy. Hypothyroidism was diagnosed only after abnormalities of thyroid hormones, thyroid scanning, and antithyroglobulin and antimicrosome antibodies were found. The authors conclude that the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is very difficult in the absence of the typical signs, such as drowsiness, edema, dry skin, hoarse voice, alopecia, etc.
Effects of benfluorex in obese patients with metabolic disorders.
Fifty obese (BMI = 40.1 +/- 1.5) subjects (21 men and 21 women; average age 38.6 +/- 3.8 years) were prescribed a 600 cal/day diet (carbohydrates 30 g, proteins 60 g, lipids 10 g). Thirty patients were also given benfluorex (three tablets/day) for six months (Group A), whereas the other 20 patients (Group B) were treated with the dietary measures only. Apart from grade II and III obesity, several patients suffered from dyslipidaemia (Group A: n = 10; Group B: n = 7), non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (Group A: n = 4; Group B: n = 3) or IGT (Group A: n = 8; Group B: n = 6). The usual blood and biochemical tests and clinical examinations were carried out on Days 0, 90 and 180, together with the OGTT and glucagon test to determine blood glucose levels, IRI and CPR. There was no statistical difference between the weight loss of Group A and that of Group B. In Group A there was a statistically significant reduction (p less than 0.001) in total cholesterol, triglycerides, total/HDL-cholesterol and beta/alpha-lipoproteins and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol and alpha-lipoproteins (p less than 0.001), whereas in Group B only a significant reduction in triglycerides (p less than 0.001) was observed. In NIDDM patients treated with benfluorex, normalisation of basal blood glucose levels was accompanied by an improvement in the OGTT blood glucose curve which was statistically significant relative to Group B. Benfluorex was well tolerated by all patients and no adverse event was reported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)