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M Balsano

Publications and source records attributed to M Balsano.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Cardiovascular disease in early collagen diseases].

AIM: The purpose of this paper was to verify whether there is any sign of involvement of the cardiovascular system in the early stages of collagen diseases. METHODS: Seventeen patients (10 female and 7 male, average age 41.35 +/- 9.85 years) (group A) recruited at the Ambulatory of Internal Medicine for suspected collagen diseases with period of onset of the symptomatology less than 6 months, were analyzed. Ten patients were excluded from the study: 8 had been suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for a number of years, 2 were older than 80 and were suffering from concomitant pathologies (diabetes mellitus and hypertension) which would have invalidated the evaluation of valvular changes like thickening. The patients were followed up for 2 years. Clinical diagnosis was made in many cases many months after the observation using the criteria of the American Rheumatic Association (ARA). All patients were subjected to titration of the following autoantibodies by means of the immuno-fluorimetry method: ANA, anti-ENA (SSA, SSB, SM, SM-RNP, SCL-70, Jo-1), anti-nDNA, anti-histones. The cardiological evaluation was carried out by echography (Cardioline 12 leads) and echocardiographic examination (Aloka 2000 and HP sonos 5500 with 2.5 and 3.5 MHz probe) looking for thickening of both valvular flaps (> 3 mm for the mitral and > 2 mm for the aorta), myocardial involvement by studying global and regional kinesis of the left ventricle; pericardial involvement. The control group consisted of 17 healthy subjects with the same sex and age distribution (10 male, 7 female, average age 40.35 +/- 9.80 years) (group B). RESULTS: Eleven patients (64%) proved to be suffering from SLE, 3 (17%) from mixed collagen diseases (MC), 3 (17%) from systemic sclerosis (SS). Cardiac anomalies were observed in 12 patients: in 3 (17%) mitral valve thickening was observed (2 with SLE, 1 with SS), in 2 (11%) thickening associated with mitral valve insufficiency (with MC), in 1 (5%) isolated mitral valve insufficiency (with SLE), in 1 (5%) thickening and slight aortic insufficiency (with SLE), in 1 (5%) mitral valve vegetations (with SLE), in 2 (11%) pericardial effusion (with SLE), in 2 (11%) diastolic changes (with SS). The parameters relative to wall thickness between the 2 groups showed statistically significant differences (mitral 3.1 +/- 0.7 vs 2.3 +/- 0.4 P = 0.0005; aorta 1.7 +/- 0.2 vs 1.5 +/- 0.3 P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In patients observed in the early stages of collagen diseases, cardiac involvement was observed in 70% of cases, but the data require confirmation in a larger sample. The authors, however, believe that the early identification of such involvement is useful from both the diagnostic point of view and from the point of view of patient treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Functional heart murmur and echocardiography: a solved problem?].

BACKGROUND: Is it really vanished the need for echocardiography in the differential diagnosis of functional pediatric murmurs? METHODS: To this aim 260 children (132 males, 128 females; age range 1-84 months) were examined with auscultatory cardiac murmur. All children underwent a clinical and instrumental evaluation (ECG and echocardiography) from two pediatric cardiologists with independent assessment. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten patients (Group A) were evaluated clinically with functional murmur, 45 patients (Group B) with pathological murmur, 5 patients (Group C) with uncertain pathology. ECG showed changes in 1 Group B patient. Echocardiography showed pathology in 15 Group A patients (6 patients with patent foramen ovale, 5 patients with interatrial defect, 2 patients with bicuspid aortic valve, 1 patient with mitral insufficiency, 1 patient with restrictive cardiomyopathy). Pathology was excluded in 3 Group B patients, and in 2 Group C patients. In our clinical analysis echocardiography showed sensitivity 75%, specificity 97%, positive predictive value 90%, and negative predictive value 92%. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience we suggest to perform echocardiographic examination in children with functional murmur for complete assessment.

Child↗
PubMed1984

[Comparison of diagnostic methods in rotavirus infection: immunofluorescence, ELISA and the latex agglutination test].

To examine the sensitivity and reliability of a latex agglutination test for detecting rotavirus in faecal samples, we have tested 145 stool specimens from pediatric patients with or without diarrhea, comparing such latex test to immunofluorescent antibody technique (IF) and ELISA. Among all samples positive by IF and ELISA, 52.9% were positive by latex test. This percentage was raised to 85.7% when only positive samples from patients with diarrhea were considered. We conclude that the latex test is an useful diagnostic tool in acute diarrhea because of its simplicity and of its sufficient sensitivity.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cast and brace treatment of eosinophilic granuloma of the spine: long-term follow-up.

Eosinophilic granuloma of the skeleton is rarely reported in the literature. The incidence of vertebral involvement varies between 7.8 and 25% and it is generally a solitary lesion, with a predilection for the male sex in the first decade of life. The prognosis is favorable also for the vertebral body's tendency for reconstruction. A recovery of the somatic structure is apparently much improved by eliminating or reducing mechanical stress by means of bed rest and the use of plaster casts or braces. We examined nine patients treated at the Orthopedics Clinic of Padova University, and with a follow-up of > or = 10 years. treated with plaster casts and spinal orthoses. The study was based on the modified Nesbit radiographic classification in 4 grades of severity depending on the height of the vertebral body involved. Long-term follow-up revealed no painful symptoms and a virtually total recovery of somatic structure in five cases, whereas four patients still showed a varying degree of somatic alteration. The osteogenic capacity of the intact ring epiphysis and ossifying metaplastic processes were assumed to be the mechanisms contributing, together with a reduced mechanical load, to reconstruction of the vertebral somatic structure.

Braces↗