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Biomedical subjects

G Morandi

Publications and source records attributed to G Morandi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Clinical target volume localization using conventional methods (anatomy and palpation) and ultrasonography in early breast cancer post-operative external irradiation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of three methods, anatomy (A), palpation (P) and ultrasounds (US) in localizing the clinical target volume (CTV) in patients (pts) with early breast cancer (EBC) undergoing breast external irradiation as part of conservation therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive pts with EBC (T(is) 1%, T1 78%, T2 21%, N- 68%, N+ 32%), treated with conservation surgery and breast irradiation with opposed tangential portals, were prospectively analyzed. Anatomically, palpatory or ultrasound defined field borders for CTV localizations were determined in the same position thanks to the utilization of a vacuum-formed cellulose acetate immobilization cast, removed during CTV definitions. RESULTS: P and US CTV localizations have been found to coincide on the four margins (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) in only 1/100 pts, while no pt showed identical A and US CTV localizations. Only 31/397 (8%) field measurements with A, and 98/395 (25%) with P corresponded to US border definition. If mean and median values of each field border were considered, the CTV was generally overestimated with P appearing more accurate than A in a gross definition of the target (P < 0.01). However, a geographical miss of at least one field border of CTV occurred in 55% of pts with A and in 36% of pts with P. The most critical margin to be defined with conventional methods was the superior one: an underestimation of the cranial border of CTV with A was observed in 51% and with P in 22% of pts (22% and 8%, respectively, when an underestimation by more than 1.5 cm was considered). When pre-menopausal and peri/post-menopausal groups of pts were separately analyzed, conventional methods were highly inaccurate to define the superior border in younger pts, in which a geographical miss was noted with A in 62% and with P in 35% of cases (P < 0.05). When an underestimation of more than 1.5 cm was evaluated, these values were reduced to 33% and 12%, respectively (P = 0.02). Also, in the subgroup of pre-menopausal patients the CTV defined by palpatory reference lines appeared to be more accurate than A-method (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Conventional methods frequently appear inadequate to localize residual mammary gland in EBC post-operative external irradiation. This analysis evidentiates the inaccuracy of empirical CTV definition, and suggests that palpation or anatomical reference borders should be critically used and that state of art imaging methods should be included in treatment planning, particularly in pre-menopausal pts. If economical or individual variables have to be taken into account, palpation might be considered in post-menopausal women.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Levothyroxine suppressive therapy for solitary thyroid nodule.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of a TSH suppressive dose of levothyroxine to reduce the volume of a single thyroid nodule we studied 55 euthyroid patient: 45 (group A) were suppressed with LT4 (mean 1.7 +/- 0.9 micrograms/Kg/day) for 21.3 +/- 5.3 months, and 10 patients (group B) served as controls. All the nodules were "cold" at scintiscanning, solid at ultrasonography and benign by fine-needle aspiration cytology. As responders were assumed the nodules shrinked at the end of treatment of 50% in volume. Thyroid function values (TSH, T4, FT4, T3, FT3, thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies), clinical and ultrasonographic findings were evaluated initially and at the end of the study. A significant nodular volume decrease occurred in 8 treated patients (17.8%) while 37 (82.2%) amongst the group suppressed and all controls showed no change (A vs B = NS). In two untreated patients new nodules were noted; no new nodules were discovered in the treated group (A vs B p < 005). No side effects occurred in any treated patient, even if at the end of treatment a significant T4 and FT4 (p < 0.01) increase was observed. No one onset parameter can predict the response to the therapy. These results suggest that only a small group of patients affected by a single thyroid nodule seems to respond to a TSH suppressive therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Combined therapy, oral hypoglycemic agent and low-dose insulin, in type 2 diabetes mellitus in secondary failure: a year's experience].

We have evaluated, for a period of 12 months, the response to the combined therapy with oral hypoglycaemic agents and insulin at low doses in a group of 21 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in secondary failure. A clear improvement of the parameters considered (fasting and postprandial glycaemia, glycated haemoglobin) was obtained, while maintaining the endogenous secretion of insulin. Important side effects were not observed and the increases of body weight and insulin dose registered in the course of one year were of minor importance.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1988

[Secretory carcinoma of the breast: clinicotherapeutic considerations and a review of the literature].

Prompted by the observation of a case of secretory (juvenile) secretory carcinoma of the breast, the Authors review the literature on this extremely rare disease. In view of the biological characteristics of this type of tumour, the Authors maintain that to ensure radical surgery and correct staging a quadrantectomy operation combined with emptying of the axillary cavity should be performed in those cases complying with the tumour size indication (2 cm). In larger tumours they regard the Helsted operation as the only form of surgery guaranteeing an adequate degree of radicality.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Impaired left ventricular diastolic function in acromegaly: an echocardiographic study.

To study diastolic function we digitized M-mode echocardiograms in 18 acromegalic patients (A) and compared them to an age matched control population (C). Wall thickness and left ventricular (LV) mass index are frankly increased in A (p less than 0.001). Filling pattern of the LV shows in A a prolongation of the isovolumic relaxation period (IRP) (p less than 0.001), an increase of the percentage dimension change of LV during IRP (p less than 0.001) and a reduction of the percentage dimension change during the rapid filling period (p less than 0.01). Our results indicate that relaxation is abnormal in A; this abnormality should be interpreted as a mere consequence of LV hypertrophy.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1984

[Altered diastolic function of the left ventricle in juvenile diabetes. Computerized echocardiographic study].

Using digitized M-mode ecocardiography, 26 young subjects with type I diabetes mellitus of at least three years duration, without any clinical evidence of heart disease have been studied, searching for subclinical impairment of left ventricular function. Patients have been divided in two groups according to the presence (Group I, N degrees 7 patients) or absence (Group II, N degrees 19 patients) of retinopathy. The time interval from the shortest left ventricular diameter to the onset of mitral valve opening was significantly increased as compared with the control Group (10.20 +/- 8.88 control Group; 29.21 +/- 12.99 Group II, p less than 0.001; 41.00 +/- 12.29 Group I, p less than 0.001). Furthermore, a close correlation between the above named time interval and the duration of diabetes was found (r = 0.496, p less than 0.01). Finally, the change of left ventricular dimension during the time interval from the shortest left ventricular diameter to the onset of mitral valve opening, expressed as a percentage of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, was increased (3.20 +/- 3.43 control Group; 8.21 +/- 5.51 Group II, p less than 0.02; 12.43 +/- 5.56 Group I, p less than 0.001). Our results suggest an impairment of ventricular relaxation due to increased wall stiffness. We conclude that there are often subclinical cardiac abnormalities in young diabetics resulting in impairment of diastolic function that is correlate with the duration of diabetes and with the presence of clinical complications such as retinopathy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Acromegalic cardiomyopathy: an echocardiographic study].

Thirty eight acromegalic patients (A) and a control group (C) of subjects without heart disease, were studied with echocardiography. Acromegalies were divided in two groups, A1 and A2, who had increase or normal serum growth hormone (GH) levels respectively after treatment (pituitary adenectomy and/or bromocriptine), at the time of the study. In acromegalic patients (A) mean left ventricular (LV) dimensions were normal while LV wall and septal thickness, LV mass and left atrial (LA) dimension were increased compared to control subjects. LVH was present in 79% of acromegalic patients. Asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH) was found in 10,5% of our patients. In group A1, IVS, LVPW, LVMM/m2 were significantly increased as compared to group A2. Fractional shortening (FS), ejection fraction (EF), mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening (Vcf), frequency-normalized Vcf (Vcfn), posterior left ventricular wall velocity (PWV), and normalized PWV (PWVn) were normal in both groups. In patients with active acromegaly (Al) IVS and LVMM/m2 correlated well with the total duration of the disease (r=0.550 p less than 0.01 for IVS; r=0.624 p less than 0.01 for LVMM/m2) and with the duration of acromegaly before treatment (r=0.568, p less than 0.01 for IVS; r=0.500 p less than 0.01 for LVMM/m2). Furthermore a positive correlation was found between IVS and GH levels (r=0,550 p less than 0.01). Concomitant coronary artery disease and or hypertension did not seem to play any role in causing the above mentioned echocardiographic changes. Echocardiography is useful in assessing the cardiac involvement in patients with acromegaly.

Acromegaly↗