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J J Braun

Publications and source records attributed to J J Braun.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Primary ciliary dyskinesia. Clinical presentation and diagnosis].

UNLABELLED: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disease characterized by abnormalities in ciliary structure/function. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the main clinical features and test results of PCD in order to evaluate their usefulness for diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 35 cases of PCD evaluated by the same team, with nasal brushings in all cases (special light microscopy) and electron microscopy and/or by isotopic mucociliary clearance study in some. RESULTS: In a cohort of 145 patients with suspected PCD, the diagnosis of PCD was established in 35 cases using a combination of compatible clinical features coupled with the study of nasal brushings: 13 females and 22 males, average age at time of diagnosis 25 years, situs inversus in 12 patients (34%). CONCLUSION: In the absence of consensus in the literature for diagnosis of PCD, we propose the association of the following diagnostic criteria: upper airway and bronchopulmonary infections beginning often early in the life, more inconstantly situs inversus, familial cases of PCD, consanguinity, infertility and permanent and ubiquitous abnormalities of ciliary structure/function. Nasal brushing with ciliary study (special light microscopy) seems to be an easy and reliable diagnostic criterion. Electron microscopy is necessary for proving ultrastructural abnormalities.

Adult↗

[Allergic fungal sinusitis and allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis: a fortuitous association or a nosological rhino-bronchial entity?].

INTRODUCTION: The identification of allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is much more recent than that of allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and may still be incomplete and controversial. Their association has been only rarely reported in the literature. Is it a matter of a fortuitous association or of a well defined and/or new nosological rhino-bronchial entity? METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken from a series of 10 cases of AFS with 4 cases associated with ABPA and fulfilling all the diagnostic criteria described in the literature. RESULTS: The association of AFS and ABPA may be concomitant (2 cases) or not (2 cases) with a possible time lag of several years between the onset of naso-sinal and broncho-pulmonary disease, even after recovery from the original episode. Treatment comprising steroids, endoscopic surgery (4 cases) combined with anti-fungal drugs (2 cases), led to resolution (2 cases), a considerable improvement (1 case) and therapeutic failure in 1 case (follow up longer than 4 years in all cases). CONCLUSION: The association, concomitant or remote in time, of AFS and ABPA emphasises the unity of the upper and lower airways as well as the pathophysiological relationship between these two fungal respiratory diseases. The prevalence of this association remains low and the treatment is not standardised.

Adult↗

[Community-acquired pneumonia: pathogens and course in patients admitted to a general hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To determine prognostic factors and the significance of (non-invasive) microbiological tests for the clinical course of patients admitted to one general hospital with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHOD: Patients admitted to one location of a general hospital with symptoms of CAP during the period January 1998-December 1999 were included. Data from the anamnesis, physical examination and laboratory tests were recorded and samples were taken for diagnosis of the possible pathogens. Cultures were made of sputum and blood, serum and sputum were examined for infection with viral and atypical microorganisms, and the urine was screened for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella antigens. RESULTS: Of the 157 patients studied, 28 (18%) died as a direct result of CAP. In a stepwise multivariate analysis, age > or = 65 years, increased serum-creatinine levels and hypercapnia were independent predictors of mortality. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were detected 53 and 19 times, respectively, and were the bacterial pathogens most frequently found. Among the nonbacterial pathogens, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was found 37 times and serologic tests for influenza A or B virus were positive in 34 cases. In 62 patients (39%), extensive microbiological tests revealed signs of a combined infection and in 20 patients (13%) no microorganism could be detected. An elevated serum-procalcitonin level was associated with bacterial infections. As a consequence of their retrospective nature, the results of the extensive serological tests did not contribute to reaching a diagnosis in daily clinical practice. In comparison with the literature, there was a markedly high number of subclinical or atypical infections with Legionella (8%) and Bordetella (18%) and a high incidence of viral and atypical microorganisms as the cause of CAP.

Adult↗

[Nasosinusal sarcoidosis: 13 cases].

We report 13 cases of nasosinusal sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a chronic, non caseating granulomatous disease. Nasosinusal involment is rare or exceptional and may be isolated (1 case in our series) or associated (12 cases in our series) with other lesions of the chest, skin, liver, spleen, bone, eyes, salivary glands, peripheral lymph nodes or with neurosarcoidosis. The clinical and CT features are various and often non specific. Nasal biopsy guided by physical examination is easy and constitute the main diagnostic criterion. The course of nasosinusal sarcoidosis is variable and no standard treatment has been established. Response to local or systemic corticosteroid therapy is also variable. The recurrence is frequent after tapering off or interrupting corticosteroids that also have important side effects.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Anaphylactic shock during endodontic treatment due to allergy to formaldehyde in a root canal sealant.

A 41-yr-old patient experienced an anaphylactic shock reaction caused by formaldehyde in a root canal sealant during endodontic treatment. The clinical events, positive skin tests, and a high level of immunoglobin E to formalin RAST (class 4) suggest the involvement of immunoglobin E-dependent mechanisms toward formaldehyde. This very infrequent observation in endodontic therapy focuses attention on the different pathological manifestations related to formalin, their mechanisms, and the prevention possibilities in dentistry.

Adult↗

Value of estrogenic recruitment before chemotherapy: first randomized trial in primary breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Several preclinical studies showed that short-term pretreatment of breast cancer cells with estrogens can increase the antitumor efficacy of different cytotoxic drugs. Some early clinical studies in patients with advanced breast cancer did seem to support these findings. Therefore, the efficacy of estrogenic recruitment followed by chemotherapy was compared with that of chemotherapy alone in a randomized phase III study in women with lymph node-positive primary breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred twenty-eight patients with stage II/IIIA breast cancer who were younger than 66 years of age were randomly allocated to chemotherapy with fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) or FAC plus pretreatment with ethinyl estradiol (EE(2)). FAC (500, 50, and 500 mg/m(2), respectively) was administered intravenously once every 4 weeks for four cycles. EE(2) (0.5 mg) was administered orally, both 24 hours and immediately preceding FAC chemotherapy. RESULTS: Patient and tumor characteristics and chemotherapy dosages were comparable in both treatment groups. Of 318 assessable patients, with a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 177 patients had a relapse and 127 died. No significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups with respect to relapse-free, local recurrence-free, and overall survival according to univariate and multivariate analyses adjusted for age, menopausal status, tumor size, grade, number of positive nodes, and steroid-receptor status. The power for the detection of an increase of 50% in the median relapse-free survival was 80%. CONCLUSION: Estrogenic recruitment of breast cancer cells before FAC chemotherapy did not influence the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II/IIIA breast cancer patients after a follow-up of 6.8 years.

Adult↗

[CT imaging of fungal and nonfungal caseous sinusitis. A report of 50 cases].

PURPOSE: Evaluate the contribution of CT for the diagnosis of caseous fungal and not fungal sinusitis, mostly of dental origin and often improperly called aspergillus sinusitis. MATERIAL: and methods. About 50 cases of caseous maxillary sinusitis, including 34 fungal sinusitis, the authors analyse the most important CT criteria. All patients underwent thereafter surgery, and the removal material was submitted to mycological investigations. RESULTS: Constructive and destructive modifications of the bone walls, fillings of sinus cavities and middle meatus are aspecific signs of chronicity. Dental origin foreign bodies and microcalcifications are more evocative but also non specific. Only the mycological investigation leads to the diagnosis of fungal and identifies by round fifty percent cases to the exact nature of fungal. CONCLUSION: There are no valid predictive criteria for fungal etiology by CT investigation.

Adult↗

[IgE allergy due to formaldehyde paste during endodontic treatment. Apropos of 4 cases: 2 with anaphylactic shock and 2 with generalized urticaria].

We report 4 cases of allergic reaction to formaldehyde-containing root canal sealant after endodontic care: 2 anaphylactic shocks and 2 local reactions with generalized urticaria. Allergic IgE mediated mechanisms were suggested by the clinical presentation, skin tests and high levels of anti-formaldehyde IgE. These infrequent but potentially severe reactions after canal treatment led us to examine the involved mechanisms, the diagnostic procedure and the possibility of prevention in odontostomatology.

Adult↗

[Imaging of solitary maxillo-mandibular plasmacytoma].

CT was performed in three patients with plasmacytoma of the maxilla and mandible. CT allows improved depiction of the tumor and associated local invasion and bony destruction but remains non-specific. Histology is mandatory for diagnosis and work-up necessary to confirm the solitary nature of the lesion. Intraosseous intramedullary lesions often evolve to multiple myeloma after a few years whereas extramedullary lesions, commonly involving sinonasal structures, typically remain solitary.

Aged↗

[Polyps and polyposis of the paranasal sinuses].

Discussion is about the different types of naso-sinusal polyps, isolated inflammatory polyps and some other ambiguous types like inverted papilloma, so-called haemorrhagic polyps, pseudo-polyps and reactional polyps collecting very heterogeneous and various clinical, CT and evolutive entities.

Adult↗

Onset of action in the nasal antihistaminic effect of cetirizine and loratadine in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Several studies have compared the cutaneous efficacy of cetirizine and loratadine and their onset of action. We assessed the nasal effect of these two antihistamines in a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial in order to compare objectively their efficacy and onset of action in the noses of patients with allergic rhinitis. Nasal challenge was performed by nebulization of increasing doubling doses of histamine (0, 0.04-1.28 mg/nostril) in 12 patients (eight men, four women, aged 22-39 years). Nasal airway resistance (NAR) was measured by posterior rhinomanometry either 1.5 h or 4 h after intake of cetirizine (10 mg), loratadine (10 mg), or placebo. Baseline NAR was identical between all study days (2.60-2.88 cmH2O.l-1.s). One and a half hours after intake, the increase in NAR induced by histamine was significantly reduced by both cetirizine and loratadine in contrast to placebo. However, with cetirizine the nasal obstruction was significantly lower than with loratadine (P < 0.05). Four hours after intake, a similar inhibition of the nasal obstruction caused by histamine was observed with both cetirizine and loratadine (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study found cetirizine and loratadine to have similar nasal efficacy at therapeutic dosage 4 h after intake, whereas cetirizine was more effective than loratadine 1.5 h after intake. In agreement with the results observed in the skin, our study suggests a more rapid onset of action of cetirizine in the nose in allergic rhinitis.

Adult↗

Adjunct effect of loratadine in the treatment of acute sinusitis in patients with allergic rhinitis.

H1-blockers are often added to the standard treatment of acute sinusitis, but this is not supported by a controlled study. A multicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was done in 139 allergic patients (15-65 years) to assess the adjunct efficacy of loratadine in acute exacerbation of rhinosinusitis. Sinusitis was diagnosed by symptoms and confirmed by rhinoscopy and sinus radiograph. Allergy was characterized by skin tests, RAST, and history. Patients were treated with antibiotics (14 days), oral corticosteroids (10 days), and loratadine (10 mg OD) or placebo (28 days). Treatment efficacy was assessed over 28 days by symptom scores quoted daily by patients. Physicians also rated total symptom scores at entry and at day 28. At entry, both groups had similar symptoms. Placebo-treated patients improved significantly, but patients who received loratadine had a significantly greater improvement in sneezing (P = 0.003) after 14 days, and in nasal obstruction (P = 0.002) after 28 days. Physicians found that patients receiving loratadine were significantly improved compared to placebo patients (P = 0.0125). Loratadine in addition to standard therapy was found to improve the control of some symptoms of sinusitis.

Acute Disease↗

[Caseous sinusitis. Clinical, x-ray computed, surgical, histopathological, biological, biochemical and myco-bacteriological aspects. Apropos of 33 cases].

We analyse the most important clinical, CT, surgical, histopathological, biological, biochemical, mycological and bacteriological features of caseous sinusitis, i.e. chronic, poorly symptomatic sinusitis which are resistant to usual treatment. CT shows an opacity of the maxillary sinus with often a hyperdense foreign body (dental overfilling) but no valid predictive criteria for fungal etiology. The endoscopic or surgical procedures point out a caseous mass often called fungal mass or aspergilloma. The biochemical composition of this mass (water, proteins, lipids) is similar to that of tissues surrounding the sinus. The calcium value is variable and shows no correlation with CT imaging. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the metals (zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron) is of relevance for exogenic origin (dental overfilling). The fungal etiology is inconstant (20 cases) after the mycological investigations. We discuss the nosologic and diagnostic features of caseous sinusitis, fungal or not, and which are often or too often called aspergillosis sinusitis.

Adult↗

[Mucormycosis-actinomycosis and caseous dental sinusitis associated with sinusal foreign body].

The authors report an uncommon case of caseous dental sinusitis with infection or superinfection by mocorales and actinomycetes. The patient was healthy, without diabetes mellitus, but was treated for lymphoma 18 years before. This observation leads to a discussion of nosologic, diagnostic and therapeutic features of caseous sinusitis, dental or not, fungal or not, which are often or too often called aspergillosis sinusitis. The recovery of the patient was complete after surgery, amphotericin B and hyperbaric oxygen.

Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial↗

Phase II evaluation of echinomycin (NSC-526417) in patients with central nervous system malignancies. A Southwest Oncology Group study.

The objective of this trial was to determine the efficacy of echinomycin (1.2 mg/m2) administered on a weekly times four schedule in the treatment of patients with recurrent or progressive central nervous malignancies despite adequate radiotherapy. Thirty-five patients were registered on study. The majority of patients (20) had glioblastoma multiforme. Ten had anaplastic astrocytoma. Eight patients had received prior nitrosoureas. SWOG performance status was 1 in 11 patients and 2 in 22. The median age was 51 years (25-75 years). One patient had a partial remission (3%:95% confidence interval: 1%-16%). Twenty two patients had progressive disease. The median survival was 5.9 months. Toxicity was primarily gastrointestinal with nausea and vomiting in 13 patients and nausea only in 11 patients. Hepatotoxicity occurred in 10 patients. Echinomycin given at this dose and schedule is not effective in treating patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytomas.

Adult↗

[Uncommon caseous maxillary sinusitis of dental origin caused by Microsporum canis].

The authors report an uncommon case of maxillary sinusitis due to Microsporum canis. To their knowledge this is the first observation in which a zoophilic dermatophytic fungus which grows usually on keratin has been isolated in a dental maxillary sinusitis in human. This observation makes it possible to discuss nosologic and diagnostic features of dental caseous sinusitis and fungal sinusitis which are often or too often called aspergillosis sinusitis.

Aspergillosis↗