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Biomedical subjects

J Velilla Marco

Publications and source records attributed to J Velilla Marco.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

[Neurological involvement in systemic sclerosis].

INTRODUCTION: Systemic sclerosis (SS) is recognized as the connective tissue disease which less frequently presents neurological complications; in recent studies it is demonstrated, however, that neurological involvement in SS is more frequent of what it had been assumed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical neurological exploration was done in 26 patients with definitive SS; an electroneurogram was carried out in 23 cases in order to determine the prevalence of central neurological pathology and of peripheral neuropathy, to define its characteristics, and to investigate possible associations with clinical parameters and with autoimmunity. RESULTS: 23 cases (88%) were females and 3 cases (12%) males; the median age was 57.5 12.0 (SD) years, while the median age to the diagnosis was 51.3 12.3 (SD) years and the median period of natural history of disease was 6.2 3.1 years. Seven patients (26.9%) showed involvement of the CNS, being the headache and the neuropsychiatric manifestations the most common conditions (11.5%). Peripheral neuropathy prevalence was 39.1% (9 cases); according to the distribution of the injury, the polyneuropathy prevailed in 30.4% of cases. With regard to the functional selectivity, the sensitive-motor forms were most frequent (55.6%); according to the most involved structure, the axonal neuropathy was most common (44.4%).Discussion. The possible pathogenic mechanisms of the neurological pathology in this disease are discussed.

Adult↗

[Cerebellar syndrome as first manifestation of late onset systemic lupus erythematosus].

Clinical characteristics of a 70-year-old women affected by an erythematous systemic lupus (ESL) of late onset, whose first main manifestation was the compromise of the central nervous system as cerebellar syndrome and which exhibited a good response to treatment, is described. Pathogenic and diagnostic aspects of the neurological manifestations of ESL are described.

Aged↗

[Intrapericardial pheochromocytoma].

Intrapericardial pheochromocytomas are extremely rare tumors. Diagnosing and localizing them are very difficult tasks when using conventional methods used for adrenal pheochromocytoma. We present the case of a patient with a pheochromocytoma who had a CT scan of the thorax and abdomen performed, as well as 131I methaiodinebencilguanidin (131 I-MIBG) gammagraphy, with completely normal results. The tumor was localized in the mediastinal area using 123 I-MIBG and NMR. The tumor was found intrapericardial during the operation; it was fixed to the pulmonary artery and in close contact with the left atrial, as well as with the circumflex and aorta arteries. It was possible to carry out the resection without causing any damage to these structures.

Heart Neoplasms↗

[Hemophagocytosis and undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung].

Hemophagocytosis (HP) constitutes a valuable sign in the diagnosis of a number of hematologic diseases such as malignant histiocytosis (MH). It has also been described in the course of hematologic neoplasias being extremely rare in solid tumors. We present the case of a patient with pancytopenia, hepatomegaly, skin lesions and rapidly fatal evolution in whom the finding of HP in bone marrow arouse the suspicion of a MH. The post mortem study revealed the existence of undifferentiated lung carcinoma with a high degree of invasiveness, not finding histiocytic proliferation. The cases in the literature of the association of HP with non hematological neoplasias are revised as well as its possible pathogenic mechanisms. We conclude that MH needs to be considered as a non specific finding and that exhaustive cytochemical studies are necessary for the correct identification of the phagocytic cell.

Aged↗

[Chronic polyneuropathy due to vitamin E deficiency].

Vitamin E deficiency has been implicated as a causal factor in neurological disease for some time. Nevertheless, only in the last 10 years have we begun to understand the role this vitamin plays in the normal functioning and structure of the nervous system. Chronic fat malabsorption syndromes are the most common causes of low levels of this highly fat-soluble vitamin. We present a case of chronic polyneuropathy due to vitamin E deficiency caused by malabsorption in which a biliary-cholonic fistula was present. Plasma tocopherol levels were normalized by parenteral substitution, leading to substantial clinical improvement. We suggest that vitamin E levels be determined in cases of digestive disorders involving malabsorption of fats and in chronic neurological diseases, particularly spinal-cerebral degenerative and polyneuropathic diseases that are mainly sensory or motor-sensory in nature, given the potential reversibility of these disorders when caused by vitamin E deficiency.

Female↗