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L Agostini

Publications and source records attributed to L Agostini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

[Calcified pseudotumor of the pleura: description of a case].

We describe a calcifying fibrous pseudotumour of pleura in a 46-year-old female, smoker. The patient presented with a well-delimited pleural mass, 3-cm across, located at the base of the right lung and attached to the lung with a short pedicle. Seven years after surgical excision of the mass, the patient is alive and well. Microscopically, the lesion was mostly composed of dense collagenous tissue, with sparse benign spindle cells, a rich inflammatory infiltrate and scattered calcifications, sometimes laminated. Immunohistochemically, spindle cells were positive for vimentin and negative for smooth muscle actin, desmin, S100 protein, CD34, CD99 and Bcl2. Calcifying fibrous pseudotumour is rare in the pleura. Pertinent data from the literature and problems in differential diagnosis are briefly discussed.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2002

[Small-cell mesothelioma of the pleura: description of a case].

A case of mesothelioma with a small cell component in a 53-year-old, non-smoker woman. The patient had a history of asbestos exposure, and presented with thoracic pain. A total body computed tomogram showed a left pleural effusion and a 7.5-cm pleural mass. Thoracoscopy revealed a diffuse nodular thickening of the left parietal pleura, and a biopsy was performed. The patient died of the disease 4 months after diagnosis. Microscopically, the pleural neoplasm was composed of three different components: 40% of the tumor showed the classic histology of a malignant epithelial mesothelioma, 40% was composed of small- to medium-sized cells with open nuclear chromatin, evident nucleoli and high mitotic activity, and 20% of the neoplasm was indistinguishable from a small cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the first component was diffusely and strongly positive for cytokeratin AE1/AE3, cytokeratin CAM 5.2 and EMA, focally positive for BER-EP4, and negative for CD15, B 72.3, CEA, LCA, chromogranin, synaptophysin, TTF-1 and CD99. The cells of the second component were positive only for cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and cytokeratin CAM 5.2, and the elements of the third component were negative for all the antibodies tested. Pleural mesothelioma with a small cell component is rare. The most useful parameters to distinguish it from other small cell malignancies that may involve the pleura, particularly small cell carcinoma of pulmonary origin, are discussed.

Asbestos↗
PubMed2001

[Bronchiolitis obliterans-organizing pneumonia (BOOP) containing asbestos bodies: clinico-pathological study of a case].

We describe a case of bronchiolitis obliterans-organizing pneumonia (BOOP) with asbestos bodies. A 65-year-old man, treated in the past for gastric lymphoma and with an history of asbestos exposure, presented with fever and two nodular opacities in the lower lobe of the left lung. Histologic examination revealed a BOOP pattern; in the inflammatory tissue some asbestos bodies were present. Patients exposed to asbestos may rarely present with localized inflammatory pulmonary lesions. In these cases, the possible etiopathogenetic role of asbestos needs further studies.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Children's conceptions of characteristic features of category members.

The authors investigated children's conceptions of the characteristic features of category members and found that their conceptions underwent qualitative developmental changes. They hypothesized that (a) children initially tend to perceive category members in terms of individual characteristics (i.e., internal dispositions and behavioral patterns) and (b) only later do they conceive of category members in terms of their shared beliefs and values. They explored these hypotheses in 2 studies: In Study 1, they investigated how Protestant and Catholic children in Northern Ireland understood the religious intergroup context in their own country; in Study 2, children in Italy were presented with a fictional scenario of intergroup conflict and asked to explain the causes of the conflict. The results of both studies confirmed the 2 hypotheses.

Child↗
PubMed1989

Frontal lobe dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: prognostic value for dementia?

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate if the presence of frontal motor deficits in parkinsonians without signs of global intellectual impairment may have a predictive value for the development of a progressive dementing process during the course of the illness. An examination of the higher level of motor organization, using skills thought to depend upon the integrity of the frontal regions, was performed by 30 parkinsonian patients who did not present any signs of general intellectual impairment. According to their performance, as compared with controls, they were divided into two subgroups: those with and those without frontal dysfunctions. After a mean period of 4 years, a second neuropsychological examination was carried out to assess any eventual change of mental status. The results suggest that frontal dysfunctions may be observed several years before the appearance of generalized intellectual impairment and may be considered one of the predictive factors for development of dementia in Parkinson's disease. Careful consideration of these defects during examination of motor abilities may be of value in the clinical management of parkinsonian patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Characteristic clinical aspects of Parkinson patients with intellectual impairment.

The present study is based on the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease is not a single homogeneous entity and that parkinsonians with intellectual impairment are a distinct subgroup of the parkinsonian population. An assessment of cognitive functions was performed on 70 patients with Parkinson's disease and on 90 control patients. Analysis of their performances led to the division of parkinsonians into two subgroups: with and without neuropsychological impairment. Investigation of the clinical characteristics of the two subgroups showed that parkinsonians who are mentally impaired differ from other parkinsonians in that they present a more marked severity of the extrapyramidal syndrome with predominant bradykinesia and an earlier deteriorating response to levodopa treatment.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

[Echocardiographic findings in dystrophia myotonica (Steinert's disease)].

Ten patients with myotonic dystrophy have been studied by M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography. Six patients had echocardiographic abnormalities: mitral valve prolapse, hypertrophy of the papillary muscles (2 cases); impaired regional left ventricular relaxation, probably due to "cardiac myotonia" (4 patients); and dilatative cardiomyopathy in the sole patient with overt heart disease. There seems to be no relation between involvement of skeletal and cardiac muscle. It is likely, although not proved, that myocardial involvement in myotonic dystrophy occur initially as "myotonia", followed by a "dystrophic" phase with severe dilatative cardiomyopathy, not unlike the skeletal muscle.

Adolescent↗