Biomedical subjects

F-G Barral

Publications and source records attributed to F-G Barral.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

[Pain management in bone metastasis of pulmonary origin: new interventional and metabolic techniques].

Invasion of bone by a metastatic lesion is the most common cause of pain in cancer patients. Pain management in these patients is an important and difficult task. The pain is not always properly controlled by high doses of specific medication, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. When these therapies do not provide adequate pain relief, percutaneous vertebroplasty, cementoplasty, radiofrequency ablation and internal radiotherapy appear to be elegant and efficient complementary alternative pain control methods.

Bone Cements↗

PubMed2004

An fMRI study of cortical representation of mechanical allodynia in patients with neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cerebral activity associated with allodynia in patients with neuropathic pain. METHODS: The brain responses of 27 patients with peripheral (5), spinal (3), brainstem (4), thalamic (5), lenticular (5), or cortical (5) lesions were studied with fMRI as innocuous mechanical stimuli were addressed to either the allodynic territory or the homologous contralateral region. RESULTS: When applied to the normal side, brush and cold rubbing stimuli did not evoke pain and activated a somatosensory "control" network including contralateral primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortices and insular regions. The same stimuli became severely painful when applied to the allodynic side and activated regions in the contralateral hemisphere that mirrored the "control" network, with, however, lesser activation of the SII and insular cortices. Increased activation volumes were found in contralateral SI and primary motor cortex (MI). Whereas ipsilateral responses appeared very small and restricted after control stimuli, they represented the most salient effect of allodynia and were observed mainly in the ipsilateral parietal operculum (SII), SI, and insula. Allodynic stimuli also recruited additional responses in motor/premotor areas (MI, supplementary motor area), in regions involved in spatial attention (posterior parietal cortices), and in regions linking attention and motor control (mid-anterior cingulate cortex). CONCLUSION: On a background of deafferentation in the hemisphere contralateral to stimuli, enhanced or additional responses to innocuous stimuli in the ipsilateral hemisphere may contribute to the shift of perception from innocuous toward painful and ill-defined sensations.

Basal Ganglia↗

PubMed2004

[Multiple actinomycosis brain abscesses].

BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is a subacute or chronic bacterial infection, which can affect immunocompetent or immunodeficient subjects. It most often occurs in cervico-facial or thoracic-abdominal locations. Central nervous system infection is rare but of severe prognosis. CASE REPORT: A 56 year-old woman with no history of immunodepression was admitted with unexplained fever, inappropriate behaviour, and spatial and temporal disorientation. The progressive worsening of the neurological signs let to coma and mechanical ventilation was required. Brain imaging showed multilocation cerebral abscesses. Stereotaxial biopsy permitted diagnosis of actinomycosis. Patient's outcome was favourable following appropriate dual antibiotherapy without surgical exeresis. DISCUSSION: When lacking bacteriologic identification, diagnosis of cerebral actinomycosis is performed by pathologic findings. Dual antibiotherapy allows full recover, even in the case of multilocation cerebral abscesses.

Actinomyces↗

PubMed2003

[Microcystic meningiomas: comparison of histology and computed tomography].

INTRODUCTION: Microcystic meningiomas are defined by large vacuolated and stellate shaped cells. We recently examined a microcystic meningioma mimicking a malignant tumor on computed tomography (CT). The aim of the current study was to compare the radiological features of microcystic meningiomas with their histological patterns. METHODS: We have diagnosed 7 intracranial microcystic meningiomas among 204 meningiomas registered in the files of our Department of Pathology from 1994 to 2001. All CT scans performed before surgery were reviewed. RESULTS: Three of the microcystic meningiomas appeared as entirely microcystic tumors. Two of them were homogeneously hypodense or isodense on CT scan. The third mening was heterogeneous, containing some blood. The histologic pattern of the 4 other meningiomas showed microcystic tumor cells associated with meningothelial or fibrous tumor cells. These meningiomas were heterogeneous on CT scan. All meningiomas seemed to be connected to the dura mater. Three tumors were strongly and homogeneously enhanced after contrast media injection while 3 others were heterogeneously enhanced. No enhanced CT scan was available for 1 case. Astrocytomas were incorrectly diagnosed by CT scan in the 3 heterogeneously enhanced tumors. Meningiomas were correctly diagnosed in the 3 strongly enhanced tumors. CONCLUSION: The presence of microcystic tumour cells in meningiomas often results in erroneous diagnosis on CT scan, particularly for those which are heterogeneously enhanced. In these cases, a diagnosis of astrocytoma is often made.

Adult↗