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Biomedical subjects

G Casara

Publications and source records attributed to G Casara.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Evoked potentials before and after anemia correction with recombinant human erythropoietin in end-stage renal disease.

Subclinical involvement of the nervous system in uremic adults has been detected by modern neurophysiological techniques. Chronic anemia is one of the possible factors responsible for neural dysfunction in uremia. We evaluated neurophysiological (brainstem auditory and somatosensory evoked potential) abnormalities and their possible modification following anemia correction with recombinant human erythropoietin in 14 children with end-stage renal disease maintained by hemodialysis. Only peripheral and 8th cranial nerve electrophysiological data are significantly abnormal in our patients, and they are not acutely modified by anemia correction. These data confirm the importance of electrophysiological testing of uremic children for detecting nervous system involvement at an early stage and for monitoring the efficacy of its management.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Somatosensory pathway dysfunction in uremic children.

Neurophysiological studies have shown defects in peripheral conduction in up to 75% of adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), though abnormalities of central conduction seem more variable. There are no comparable pediatric data. We therefore measured median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in 10 children with ESRD, maintained by hemodialysis, who had no neurological signs or symptoms, and compared the results with those for age-matched controls. The latencies of N9, P14, N20 and P22, and interpeak latencies, N9-N20, N9-P14 and P14-N20, were not significantly different between the two groups (Student's t test). However, the children with ESRD were significantly retarded in growth and when arm length was taken into account, a significant difference in peripheral conduction was revealed. There was no correlation with other indexes of disease severity (parathormone, aluminium, Hb, Na, K, Cl, BUN and creatinine). SEPs appear to reflect subclinical changes in peripheral conduction in sensory pathways in children with ESRD which are not correlated with other measures of disease severity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Acute-onset transient hydrocephalus after suspension of ACTH therapy for infantile spasms: a case report.

A baby with infantile spasms (West's syndrome) who developed acute-onset transient hydrocephalus 10 days after suspending ACTH treatment is described. Hydrocephalus is an unusual complication of ACTH therapy, the more common complication being benign intracranial hypertension. The probable common pathogenic mechanism of altered CSF reabsorption which may lead to the two different clinical states, depending on age of patient, is discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Inhibitory effects of bilirubin and photobilirubin on neonatal and adult T lymphocytes and granulocytes.

The lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin of lymphocytes and spontaneous motility, chemotaxis and phagocytic activity of granulocytes were studied in the newborn and adult blood in the presence of bilirubin and photobilirubin. All of these activities were inhibited to the same extent by these substances. In addition, a significant difference between newborn and adult values was found. In conclusion, the authors suggest that phototherapy does not decrease bilirubin cellular toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Finding of focal heterotopy with magnetic resonance. Description of a case associated with late onset epilepsy].

A case of late onset focal epilepsy in a mentally and neurologically normal girl in which the MRI showed a focal heterotopia is presented. The efficacy of this new procedure in detecting migratory disorders is discussed and the scanty literature reviewed. This case suggests that in the future more cases of epilepsy previously classified as "cryptogenetic" will be demonstrated as secondary to developmental abnormalities.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Syncope in childhood].

Syncope may be defined a sudden and transient loss of consciousness due to a reversible alteration of brain function. Three main groups of syncopes can be identified: cardiac, vascular and non-cardiovascular. All the patients (63) admitted to the emergency unit of Pediatric Clinic of the University of Padua from January 83 to July 84 and reporting one or more episodes of loss of consciousness were examined. Their age ranged from 1 month to 15 years. All the patients were investigated with the same study protocol: ECG, EEG, 24 hours ECG monitoring, routine blood examinations; other tests were done when needed. The cause of syncope was established in 53,8% of cases; for 6,3% of patients the cause was cardiac (arrhythmic), in 38% it was vascular (vasovagal syncope), in 6,3% it was non-cardiovascular (neurologic or metabolic). The cause of syncope was not identified in 46% of the patients, which is also in agreement with other studies. However, we were able, through the use of our protocol, to identify quickly and non invasively the etiology of the syncope in 25% of the patients.

Adolescent↗