Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L Filippini.
Two women, aged 21 and 44 years, developed ileocolitis and proctocolitis, respectively, lasting for several weeks after taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac; Pyrazinebutazone). This relatively little known side effect of these drugs on the lower intestinal tract is apparently not rare.
Case reports and controlled studies show a definite relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Based on a review of the literature, the clinical, radiological and endoscopic features of bowel disease associated with the use of oral contraceptives are described and the pathogenesis is discussed. The use of contraceptives should be inquired into in any women presenting with chronic enteritis or colitis, since this could be of decisive prognostic and therapeutic importance.
Four patients with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction are described. The clinical and radiological picture is suggestive of colonic obstruction, without detectable organic obstruction. The syndrome usually occurs after surgery or trauma, or is related to severe preexisting systemic illness; its association with alcohol intake is frequently overlooked. The most severe complication is cecal rupture, which may occur at a diameter of 12 cm or more and which has a lethality rate of 40%. The primary management of colonic pseudo-obstruction is conservative, and includes an attempt at colonoscopic decompression; in most cases cecostomy can be avoided.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Clinically manifest lead poisoning was diagnosed in a 66-year-old patient, the cause of which remained unclear at first. In the search for the source of poison it was surprisingly discovered that the patient had been inhaling lead contaminated snuff for several years. Two years after elimination of the source the patient was symptom-free, pathological laboratory findings had be come normal except for a slight increase of erythrocyte protoporphyrins.
A re-investigation of the use of the transketolase-TPP-effect for the assessment of the thiamine status of chronic alcoholics with various degrees of liver cirrhosis was carried out on 36 alcoholics. The extent of the liver damage in these patients was established by clinical examinations and biochemical tests. Fourteen persons showed no significant hepatic abnormalities, 5 patients had compensated liver cirrhosis, 7 slightly decompensated, and 10 patients suffered from severely decompensated liver cirrhosis. This investigation shows that the transketolase-TPP-effect is also present in patients even with severe liver cirrhosis and that a decrease of the TPP-effect can be observed after oral thiamine administration in these subjects. The TPP-effect of patients with compensated liver cirrhosis was markedly smaller than that of the subjects with slightly or severely decompensated cirrhosis. Accordingly a relationship exists between the TPP-effect and the degree of liver damage. No other correlations however could be established in this respect.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The clinical picture of endobrachyesophagus (Barrett's Syndrome) which is little known among radiologists, is described, taking the authors' own observations into account. As soon as the complications leading to clinically manifest complaints occur, consisting of high or centrally positioned peptic stenosis and/or ulceration, diagnosis can be established by means of the usually characteristic findings when a barium sulfate contrast medium is made to pass through the esophagus. Endoscopic-bioptic exploration of the esophagus is mandatory to verify the diagnosis, and, in particular, to exclude any malignant process, the more so since malignant degeneration of cylindrical cell metaplasia, on which endobrachesophagus is based, must be reckoned with in up to 10% of the cases.
A total of 416 patients had been admitted to hospital for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, about half of them before the introduction of endoscopy. There was a highly significant decrease in total mortality rate by 18 percent since the introduction of endoscopy. The reason for this is probably largely the much higher number of correct identification or localisation of bleeding points by endoscopy (98 percent) when compared with conventional radiological examination.
Tests on 100 alcoholic patients revealed increased lipoprotein levels in 24%. Type IV was the most frequently ecountered (80%), followed by type II or V. The average plasma triglyceride level of the alcoholic group was significantly increased in comparison with a control population. The causal mechanism of alcoholic hyperlipoproteinemia remains poorly understood. The combination of a genetic defect of lipid metabolism, nutritional factors and acute alcohol excess may have an essential bearing on the incidence of hyperlipoproteinemia. Acute excessive intake of alcohol was significantly increased in comparison with alcoholic subjects wihtout hyperlipoproteinemia. The critical dose may be a daily ethanol consumption of about 200 gm. There appeared to be no correlation between acute pancreatic injury or active liver disease and serum lipid elevation. On the other hand, the observation was confirmed that alcoholic patients with hepatic cirrhosis usually do not develop hyperlipoproteinemia. Ethanol-induced hyperlipoproteinemia may be a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and pancreatitis.