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Biomedical subjects

G Piccolo

Publications and source records attributed to G Piccolo.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Ocular palsy preceding chronic relapsing idiopathic polyneuropathy. Poor response to plasma exchange.

We report a case of chronic relapsing idiopathic polyneuropathy developing six weeks after the onset of extraocular palsy. As in the other four published cases, the patient failed to respond to steroids and also in this case to plasma exchange, thus confirming the poor prognosis. The electrophysiological features and poor response to plasma exchange are at variance with a demyelinating pathogenesis and suggest classification of this form as a distinct clinical variant.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Steroid-responsive and dependent stiff-man syndrome: a clinical and electrophysiological study of two cases.

Two female patients with the typical clinical and electrophysiological features of the stiff-man syndrome, both responded to steroid treatment. ACTH infusion produced an immediate clinical relief of muscle contracture and cramps, with parallel marked reduction of the EMG pattern of continuous spontaneous activity in agonist and antagonist muscles. Apart from this effect, a more delayed response to oral prednisone was observed in both cases and steroid-dependence in one of them, who also exhibited instrumental and laboratory findings suggesting an inflammatory process. These data lead us to consider a possible dysimmune pathogenesis of some cases with the stiff-man syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Meningeal leukemia diagnosed by cytocentrifuge study of cerebrospinal fluid. A study of 631 cerebrospinal fluid samples from 87 patients.

Owing to improved therapy and lengthened life span, the incidence of neuromeningeal involvement in leukemia is increasing. Careful examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is important for an early diagnosis. Among the available techniques, the use of cytocentrifugation enables us to demonstrate central nervous system leukemia even if the white blood cell count in the CSF is under 10/cu mm. We describe the results obtained by examining 631 CSF samples from 87 patients affected by acute leukemia; central nervous system luekemia was found in 22.7% of the patients suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia and in 6.4% of those with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), but this ratio is higher in ANLL compared with the survival as measured in months (a ratio of 2.0 in ANLL compared with 0.50 in acute lymphocytic leukemia). A "leukemic" CSF was found in 51.5% of prophylactically treated patients and in 73.1% of the untreated ones.

Centrifugation↗
PubMed1986

Clinical effects of plasmapheresis in acute Guillain-Barré syndrome.

5 consecutive cases of acute GBS were treated by plasmapheresis (PP). Clinical features and results of therapy have been compared with those of 10 consecutive acute GBS cases untreated by PP. PP treatment, applied early during the phase of deterioration, seemed to stop deficit progression, thus eliminating the stationary stage and triggering recovery immediately. Complete recovery seemed to occur comparatively faster than in the untreated group.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Polygraphic sleep patterns in heredoataxia: a study of nine cases.

A clinical and polygraphic sleep study was carried out in nine patients affected by heredoataxia (three by sporadic olivopontocerebellar ataxia (SOPCA), three by early onset cerebellar ataxia (EOCA) and three by Friedreich's ataxia). None of the patients complained about subjective sleep complaints. Polysomnographic findings showed a decrease in REM time in all the patients considered and a lower REM density in SOPCA and EOCA. A pattern of obstructive sleep-apnea was found in one case of SOPCA.

Cerebellar Ataxia↗
PubMed1985

Short and long-term clinical effects of plasma-exchange in 33 cases of myasthenia gravis.

The authors examine the results of plasma exchange (PE) treatment in 33 patients with myasthenia gravis, who underwent a total of 49 cycles of treatment. On the basis of clinical response, evaluated in relation to a modification of the functional state and to the duration of improvement after PE, we selected a group of 20 responsive patients ("responders" = 60.6%) and 13 non-responsive patients ("non-responders" = 39.4%). Positive effects, some only short-lasting, were observed in 24 patients (72.7%) after 32 cycles of a total of 49 cycles (65.3%). Out of the 11 most critical patients, 7 (63.6%) were considered responders, given the importance and duration of the improvement they presented, while 2 other patients had clear but short-lasting improvements; in these 9 patients, the positive effects amounted to 81.2%. Factors presumably responsible for therapeutic failure in the non-responders are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Ophthalmoplegia plus: CSF and CT features of seven cases.

The authors describe the clinical and laboratory results relative to 7 cases of Ophthalmoplegia Plus, with special reference to the histochemical, ultra-structural and CFS findings and to the data obtained by Computerized Tomography (CT) of the brain. The CSF was altered in all the examined patients: 3 out of 7 presented an abnormal albumin quotient, 1 patient had an increased IgG Index; the isoelectrofocusing of the CSF proteins, carried out in 6 out of 7 cases, showed an abnormal protein content referred to gamma trace in 3 cases, oligoclonal bands in the CSF in one case, a double Tau fraction in one case, a damaged blood-brain barrier in 5 cases. The CT-performed in 6 out of 7 cases-revealed in one patient a diffuse hypodensity of the periventricular white matter, without signs of atrophy; 2 cases showed a mild atrophy of the posterior fossa involving the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis in one case, the vermis and the brain stem in the other one; no patient revealed signs of cortical or ventricular atrophy. The boundaries of the Ophthalmoplegia Plus are here discussed on the ground of the results obtained by the employment of the various research methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Electroencephalographic findings in patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

A retrospective study of the electroencephalographic patterns in 26 adults with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. 12 of them presented EEG anomalies, all slight and aspecific. Of the various parameters considered (age, age at onset, duration of disease, CT, CSF findings, abnormalities of muscle mitochondria) the only two that seem to correlate are altered EEG patterns and severity of mitochondrial anomalies in skeletal muscle tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Lymphocyte populations in patients with myasthenia gravis. Influence of thymectomy and immunosuppressive drugs.

The T/B peripheral blood lymphocyte ratio was evaluated in 51 patients with myasthenia gravis by means of the rosette test and HTLA. Total T cells and T gamma and Tmu were decreased while B lymphocytes were increased. E-active rosettes were also above the normal range. The previous thymectomy and/or immunosuppressive treatment restored the T lymphocytes identified by HTLA to normal range while those identified by E rosettes were still reduced. This difference may be due to the different stages of T lymphocyte maturation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

EEG findings in 118 cases of myasthenia gravis.

We examined 148 EEG recordings from 118 patients affected with myasthenia gravis (35 males and 83 females, aged 17-82, with illness durations between 1 month and 24 years). The cases were clinically evaluated according to Ossermann's classification at the time of EEG recording. EEG patterns were subdivided into normal, diffuse or focal slow abnormalities, or epileptiform patterns. Of the 118 patients, 104 had normal EEG recordings and 14 had at least one abnormal recording (8 diffuse slow abnormalities, 6 focal slow abnormalities). The EEG findings were not correlated with clinical parameters (thymic pathology, respiratory incidents, drug treatment, etc.). One patient (whose EEG recordings were normal) showed an isolated epileptic fit and another patient was affected by epilepsy. A possible relationship between the two diseases is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Clinical, electrophysiological, histochemical and ultrastructural studies of 14 cases.

Clinical, histochemical and ultrastructural findings concerning 14 cases with diagnosis of Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia are described. According to the clinical features the patients have been rated in two groups: the first including subjects with isolated ptosis or ptosis with external ophthalmoplegia and the second including subjects with a spreading of the muscular deficit and involvement of the neck and limbs. The most frequent histological and histochemical features are type I fibre atrophy, ragged-red fibres, DPNH-diaphorase reaction disorders and abnormal accumulation of lipids into the fibres. Electron microscopy reveal myofibrillar disorganization and clusters of polymorphous, abnormal mitochondria. In five cases mitochondria contain a variety of crystalline inclusions. Correlations between clinical data and histochemical and ultrastructural findings are discussed. Mitochondrial abnormalities are postulated to be a characteristic physiopathological pattern in CPEO.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Antibody-induced degradation of acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis: clinical correlates and pathogenetic significance.

Sera of myasthenic patients containing anti-AChR antibodies increase the rate of degradation of mammalian AChR. This phenomenon, antigenic modulation (AMd), was tested on AChR of rat myotubes in serum from 48 myasthenic patients. Sixty-six percent of the sera increased AChR degradation. AMd activity was higher in more severely affected patients, paralleled clinical evolution in individual patients, and was related to AChR-antibody titer. Steroid treatment and thymectomy did not affect AMd activity. Patients who had a thymoma always had greater AMd activity.

Adolescent↗