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Biomedical subjects

G Cardone

Publications and source records attributed to G Cardone.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[MR characterization of breast pathology using inversion recovery sequence].

As yet, a valid tissue characterization of human breast diseases has not been possible with conventional MR techniques. On the basis of the experimental thesis according to which fibroadenomas and carcinomas have a slight, though significant, difference in T1 relaxation times, we employed specific inversion recovery sequences at the T null of the breast glandular and adipose tissues, to enhance the differences in the signal intensities of the various pathologies. We examined 16 (6 cystic dysplasias, 5 fibroadenomas, 3 carcinomas, and 1 phylloid fibroadenoma) selected patients with the above-mentioned sequences in addition to the routine T1- and T2-weighted spin echo sequences. The following conclusions were reached by evaluating the characteristic signal intensities: MR spin echo sequences allow solid lesions to be distinguished from cystic ones; MR inversion recovery sequences allow fibroadenomas to be distinguished from carcinomas with 88% accuracy.

Adenofibroma↗
PubMed1987

Is the dexamethasone suppression test predictive of response to specific antidepressant treatment in major depression?

The authors attempt to correlate the response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST) with a clinical response to antidepressant drugs in 68 patients with major depression. Antidepressants that influence noradrenergic or serotonergic transmission with relative different potencies were selected and used in standard doses for 6 weeks. The response was evaluated weekly by raters blind to DST results and to antidepressant medications prescribed. The retrospective analysis failed to correlate DST response with outcome of treatment. Therefore the present results suggest that this laboratory test does not help to identify subgroups of depressed patients responding preferentially to various antidepressant drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Dexamethasone suppression test in major and minor depressive disorders.

The validity of the dexamethasone ofe suppression test was evaluated for the differential diagnosis of major and minor depressive disorders. Thirty-eight out-patients (14 major depressed, 14 minor depressed and 10 normal controls) were studied. The Research Diagnostic Criteria of Spitzer et al. (1978) were used to classify these patients. Six out of the 14 major depressed patients had an abnormally high plasma cortisol at 4 p.m. and at 11.00 p.m. after midnight 2 mg-dexamethasone. None of the 14 minor depressed patients and none of the 10 controls had an abnormal response to dexamethasone. Based on these results, the dexamethasone suppression test has a sensitivity of 43%, a specificity of 100% and a high predictive value.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed1982

On the reliability of systolic time intervals.

With the purpose of detecting spontaneous variation of systolic time intervals (STI), 20 normal subjects have been examined and the STI has been recorded for 5 consecutive days at the beginning of the test and 20, 40 and 60 min afterwards. Significant differences were found for PEP, LVET and the PEP/LVET ratio between observations (p less than 0.05) and between days (p less than 0.01). All the values of the STI at the fifth day are rather near the values recorded at the last observation of the first day. This may be related to the presence of some factor (catecholamine release induced by emotional stress?) resulting in physiological changes which are reduced by repetition of the test. This hypothesis was confirmed in a second series of normal volunteers where the STI were recorded simultaneously with sampling of blood for assessing circulating CA levels. A highly significant correlation (p less than 0.001) was recorded between PEP, PEP/LVET and plasma CA making it evident that increase of PEPI and PEP/LVET is directly correlated with the reduction of plasma CA level.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Circadian rhythm of free tryptophan in healthy human volunteers].

Daily rhythms of free plasma tryptophan in man are reported from a study in twelve normal volunteers on stated dietary and environment conditions. Measurements of tryptophan were been obtained according to Bloxam's modifications of traditional methods. The Authors describe the results and discuss the importance of free plasma tryptophan levels as a marker of 5-HT brain metabolism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

[Behavior of blood lipids and lipoproteins in myocardial infarct].

Blood lipids and lipoproteins were evaluated in male and female subjects of various ages with acute myocardial infarct. Values were within the limits of normal in less than 50%, mostly in the aged. II B (24%), IV (18%) and II A (11%) lipoprotidaemic pictures were the most common. It is felt that abnormal values are not necessarily part of the infarct picture; if present, they are mainly of the II B type.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prophylaxis of migraine attacks with a calcium-channel blocker: flunarizine versus methysergide.

In this study, flunarizine, a selective calcium-channel blocker, was employed in the prophylactic treatment of headache and was compared with methysergide in terms of efficacy. The trial was conducted with 104 patients (53 treated with flunarizine and 51 treated with methysergide) and lasted six months--one month of pretreatment and five months of therapy. Patients in both groups experienced a highly significant reduction in the number and duration of migraine attacks. Unlike those in the methysergide group, patients treated with flunarizine achieved a significant reduction in the intensity of attacks with very negligible side effects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Positive inotropic effects of an ACTH analogue (ACTH 1-17) on myocardial performance.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of a single 100-micrograms i.v. administration of the synthetic heptadecapeptide [beta-Ala1-Lys17]ACTH1-17-4-amino-N-butylamide (ACTH 1-17) on the left ventricular performance. The systolic time intervals (STI) were recorded in 20 healthy adult young subjects (10 treated with ACTH 1-17 and 10 receiving placebo) before as well as 20, 40, 60 and 80 min after the i.v. ACTH 1-17 or placebo infusion. The STI were recorded immediately after blood withdrawal for measuring cortisol, aldosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline plasma levels. A highly significant statistical difference was demonstrated for preejection period (PEP) and preejection period/left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET) ratio between subjects treated with ACTH 1-17 and subjects receiving placebo. As expected, a significant increase of cortisol and aldosterone plasma levels was observed in subjects treated with ACTH 1-17. The difference of adrenaline and noradrenaline plasma levels was statistically highly significant between subjects treated with ACTH 1-17 and those receiving placebo. The lack of increase in PEP and PEP/LVET ratio recorded in subjects treated with ACTH 1-17 is consistent with an increased left ventricular contractile performance. An increased plasma catecholamine release is postulated as the mechanism of this improvement.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CT of Nissen's fundoplication.

The aim of this work is to describe the computed tomographic (CT) anatomy in patients who underwent Nissen's fundoplication. Forty patients (mean age = 61 years) with peptic esophagitis (nine cases), refractory gastroesophageal reflux (11 cases), and hiatal hernia (20 cases) were studied. Examinations were performed by third-generation CT equipment, with patients in the prone position after the ingestion of gastrovison and barium paste. In 34 patients, the examination demonstrated anatomical variations related to surgery, that is, the presence of a soft tissue mass at the level of the distal third of the esophagus. In four patients, a functional incompetence of the fundoplication (three cases) and a recurrent hiatal hernia (one case) were demonstrated. Our results suggest a possible application for CT study in postoperative follow up of patients who undergo Nissen's fundoplication, complementary to endoscopy and functional exams.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pancreatic beta-cell tumors: MRI.

Ten consecutive patients with surgically proven beta-islet cell tumors, strongly suspected clinically because of positive laboratory findings, were studied by MRI at 0.5 T. Results were correlated with CT and angiography. MRI detected all 10 insulinomas, with the location confirmed at surgery. Lesion size was < 1 cm in three cases, between 1 and 2 cm in five cases, and between 2 and 3 cm in two cases. A false-negative diagnosis was obtained with CT in 6 of 10 and with angiography in 3 of 10 cases. Our results suggest that if motion artifact can be controlled or reduced, MRI can be employed to localize insulinomas in patients with positive clinical and laboratory findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases].

Previous clinical experience in the study of the soft tissues of the neck region has pointed out the accuracy of MRI in terms of high definition and contrast resolution. Seventy-seven patients with thyroid diseases were examined to define the possible role of MRI in the diagnosis of these conditions. In the patients affected with thyroiditis, MR findings were not specific, showing increased glandular volume and signal inhomogeneity. MR examinations of struma allowed an accurate evaluation of glandular size; furthermore, more information was obtained than with other imaging modalities in the cases with mediastinal involvement. On T2-weighted images, adenomas were always hyperintense, whereas variable signal intensity was seen on T1-weighted scans, with the exception of Hürthle cell adenomas, which were hyperintense on both T1- and T2-weighted sequences. MRI proved to be reliable in the depiction of tumor spread at both glandular and extraglandular levels. The distinction between scar fibrosis and relapse was also possible, in the cases undergoing postoperative follow-up. In conclusion, MRI emerges as a diagnostic tool complementary to other imaging techniques. However, in selected conditions--e.g., mediastinal struma and tumors--and in the postoperative follow-up, MRI can be considered the method of choice.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Vulvar dystrophies and intraepithelial neoplasms].

The ISSVD has attempted to separate dystrophic lesions from VIN in order to draw up a standard nomenclature based on histopathological characteristics so as to obtain comparable data. But the definition of the dysplastic evolutive possibilities of hyperplastic lesions is still an open problem. In this study 40% of VIN I, 100% of VIN II and 16.6% of VIN III were associated with hyperplastic lesions. 16.6% of VIN III were associated with sclerosing lichen. In this case, a hyperplastic phase could have been followed by a distrophic one since the patient was 73 years old. The overall frequency of cellular atypia in vulvar dystrophy was therefore 14.66%; it increased to 41.66% during the hyperplastic phase. The age of patients increased in parallel to the severity of lesions. No decrease in the mean age of incidence was noted except in those cases associated with HPV. The potential uncontrolled increase of hyperplastic alterations could have been produced by the absence of an inhibitory incidence stimulus, as has been noted in the resistance to topical steroid therapy in some cases of squamous hyperplasia. The localisation of cellular atypia, however, indicates surgical treatment.

Biopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Response to dexamethasone in affective disorder outpatients.

Plasma cortisol suppression following 1 mg dexamethasone administration was investigated in patients with affective disorders. Twenty-nine depressed outpatients, 8 bipolar depressed inpatients during manic or hypomanic phase, and twelve healthy volunteers entered the study. Depressed patients were divided into 2 groups according to Research Diagnostic Criterio of Spitzer et al. (1978). The first group consisted of 10 patients affected by minor depressive disorders. The second group was formed of 19 patients with major depressive disorders (7 bipolar, 12 unipolar). No difference between patients and controls was found in baseline 4.00 p.m. serum cortisol levels. Healthy volunteers, patients with minor depressive disorders and bipolar subjects in manic or hypomanic phase showed normal suppression. On the other hand, only 42% of patients with major depressive disorders showed suppression. These results suggest that altered response to dexamethasone is a state-dependent phenomenon. Moreover, a dexamethasone suppression test is able to identify subgroups of suppressor in affected patients.

Adult↗