Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Borghero.
Sixty-nine cases of Optic Neuritis were studied in order to evaluate the percentage of evolution into multiple sclerosis. We observed an incidence rate of 53.6% which is somewhat high respect to data present in literature. The various findings obtained in the present study were compared with those of the literature and the similarities and discrepancies underlined.
The clinico-tomographic correlations in 30 patients hospitalized for primary thalamic hemorrhage were studied. Arterial hypertension, observed in 90% of patients, represented the most important risk factor. Twenty-six subjects showed a sensory-motor hemisyndrome contralaterally to the lesion, nineteen showed alteration in level of consciousness from confusion to stupor and coma. Twelve subjects had poorly reactive pupils and eleven speech disturbances with involvement of the left thalamus. Seven patients died following hemorrhage; all subjects presented ventricular bleeding, severe disturbance of consciousness and arterial hypertension. On admission to hospital impairment of consciousness was the most significant unfavourable prognostic factor.
The cases of primary intrarachidian tumours observed in the 1977-1986 period in the neurological, neurosurgical, oncological and radiological Departments in Sardinia, were collected. Only histologically diagnosed tumours of spinal cord, root-nerve and their envelops in patients resident in the island for at least one year were included in the investigation. The annual crude incidence rate was 0.5 per 100,000 population (0.63 in the females and 0.37 in the males). M/F ratio was 1.7. Mean age was 45 years (35.5 in males; 50.7 in females). Age and sex distribution showed higher frequence of intrarachidian tumours in females over 40 years of age and in males younger than 40 years. Meningiomas were more frequent in females aged between 47 and 74 years. The dorsal localization of the tumours was more frequent. Subjective sensory complaints (85.3%) and motor impairment (76%) were the main symptoms at onset; at the time of diagnosis motor impairment (92%) and objective sensory disturbances (82.7%) prevailed. A twelve months interval elapsed between onset of first symptoms and diagnosis in 64% of patients; within 24 months 81.3% of tumours were diagnosed. Surgery induced improvement in 74.6% of patients, no improvement in 17.3%; a worsening was noticed in 8%. Seven patients died after surgery (3 owing to the tumour). These data are partly consonant and partly in contrast with those present in literature.
122 patients with acute stroke were examined in order to demonstrate the sensitivity and the specificity of EEG versus CT findings, in distinguishing cortical from subcortical lesions. To do this the electroencephalographic diagnosis performed by two different electroencephalographers was compared with the neuroimaging diagnosis. The results showed a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 75%. Furthermore, the EEG findings can also provide physiopathological data, in that the cortical lesions are likely to be due to embolism, while the subcortical lesions are more likely to be due to the pathological process of the intracerebral blood-vessels and the lesions of the watershed territories to hemodynamic phenomena.