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Giuseppe Civardi

Publications and source records attributed to Giuseppe Civardi.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Pulmonary hypertension is frequent in hyperthyroidism and normalizes after therapy.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, many authors have described several cases revealing an association between hyperthyroidism and pulmonary hypertension. This observational study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in hyperthyroidism and to determine the role of methimazole in regulating pulmonary vascular resistance in these patients. METHODS: We studied 114 patients, 78 women and 36 men, whose mean age was 51+/-13years. Forty-seven had Graves' disease and 67 had a nodular goiter. All subjects were ambulatory and were recruited in a consecutive order. The control group (group 2) included 20 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was performed and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) was determined by the tricuspid regurgitation method using the Bernoulli's equation. We performed a 120-day follow-up in the patients with pulmonary hypertension and we divided them into two subgroups: group 1A (n=33), patients treated with methimazole, and group 1B (n=17), subjects treated with partial thyroidectomy. RESULTS: We found a mild pulmonary hypertension in 50 patients in group 1 (43%) and in none of those in the control group. The mean+/-SD PAPs was 27.77+/-6.56 in group 1 and 21.32+/-2.55 in group 2. A negative correlation was found between the T.S.H. value and the level of PAPs (r=-0.85; p<0.001). During the follow-up, group 1A went from a PAPs value of 34.3+/-3.2 to 29.2+/-3.3 after 15days of therapy and group 1B from 34.3+/-3.0 to 34.1+/-2.9 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study demonstrate a frequent association between hyperthyroidism and mild and transient pulmonary hypertension. Subjects treated with methimazole have a more rapid drop in PAPs.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Pulmonary involvement in inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a systemic illness that may involve the lung. The most frequent manifestation is bronchial inflammation and suppuration with or without bronchiectasis. Bronchoalveolar lavage data show an increase percentage of neutrophils and steroids are very effective in the majority of cases. Some patients present severe tracheal inflammation and obstruction with an inflammatory mass bulging into the tracheal lumen. Others show a small airway involvement with or without bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia pattern and have an equivocal response to steroids. In recent years many investigators demonstrated latent pulmonary involvement with a reduction in lung transfer factor and a small airways disorders.

Bronchial Diseases↗
PubMed2004

[Thyroid dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension].

Prior observational studies and several case reports have suggested an association between thyroid dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. This review was designed to evaluate the prevalence and the pattern of pulmonary vasculature involvement in hyper- and hypothyroidism. We identified original research papers and reviews by going through leading journals that publish basic and clinical research in the fields of pulmonary hypertension, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, by electronically searching the Medline database. We directed special attention to papers published from 1972 to 2003. Our findings indicate the presence of a frequent association between hyperthyroidism and pulmonary hypertension (35% in the largest series of cases) which decrease after achievement of a euthyroid state. A possible explanation includes an influence of thyroid hormones which affect growth and maturation of vascular cells and enhanced catecholamine sensitivity causing pulmonary vasoconstriction. Furthermore, several studies suggest a high prevalence of transient pulmonary hypertension in hypothyroidism (49% in the largest series of cases), in these cases autoimmunity play a key role.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Advanced waldenström's macroglobulinemia: a case of possible cure after systemic chemotherapy, splenic radiation and splenectomy.

A 41-year-old man with advanced Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) associated with the hyperviscosity syndrome, massive splenomegaly and with IgM concentration of 10 g/dl, was treated in January 1984 with plasmapheresis, systemic chemotherapy (M2 protocol) and splenic radiotherapy. He rapidly improved and was discharged 1 month later. Fourteen months later he underwent splenectomy since a mild splenomegaly persisted though the normalization of bone marrow, peripheral blood and electrophoresis with an IgM concentration of 140 mg/dl. However, at this time immunofixation and immunoelectrophoresis showed a small IgM-kappa monoclonal component. The histological and immunohistochemical analysis showed minimal splenic involvement by WM. Two months after splenectomy, immunofixation and immunoelectrophoresis showed no monoclonal component. The spleen was the probable site of minimal residual disease. The patient was treated with monthly chlorambucil and prednisone for 2 years. Subsequently clinical and laboratory tests persisted within normal limits. The last control performed in January 2002 showed that the patient was in good health; bone marrow examination (aspiration, biopsy with immunohistochemical analysis) and immunofixation persisted normally. This interesting case report, with advanced WM, alive, in good health and without signs of disease 18 years from diagnosis, is presented here and the role of splenectomy is debated.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: report of seven cases].

From May 1999 to January 2002 we observed 7 patients (4 females and 3 males, median age 55 years, range 31-81 years) with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Six patients has been previously undiagnosed and 1 patient was at second relapse. Trigger factors of TTP were identified in 6 patients: ticlopidine treatment (2 patients); an acute cutaneous infection episode immediately before the features of TTP (1 patient); presence of devices: orthodontic (1 patient) and intrauterine contraceptive (1 patient), Mycoplasma urealyticum vaginal infection (1 patient). In all the 7 patients the clinical status was mainly related to the hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and neurological events. One of these patients presented with hemolytic-uremic syndrome with acute renal failure and macrohematuria at onset, another one showed a systemic exanthema post-infection-like. Six out of 7 patients presented with different neurological events: headache, confusion, focal neurological failure. All the 7 patients were promptly treated with plasma-exchange and cryosupernatant plasma infusion. In addition they received prednisone 25-50 mg/day. All the 7 patients achieved a complete remission after plasma-exchange, one relapsed 3 months later and was treated with plasma-exchange again. All the patients are in complete remission with a median follow-up of 36.3 months (range 20-62 months). From these cases we suggest: 1) clinicians should take in mind the suspicion of TTP in every patient with hemolytic, negative direct Coombs test, anemia, thrombocytopenia, high level of lactate dehydrogenase; 2) the treatment of choice is plasma-exchange; 3) the response of treatment is good if therapy is promptly and aggressively administered; 4) the possible role of a trigger factor for removing it and to prevent relapses.

Adult↗